An Updated Review on Iron Deficiency Anemia: From Epidemiology to Diagnosis, Etiology, Prevention and Treatment

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) accounts for two-thirds of all anemias worldwide, affecting around 1.2 billion people globally. For the diagnosis of iron deficiency, a bone marrow aspiration sample study is considered the gold standard. Individuals with IDA may experience fatigue, weakness, poor productivity, tachycardia, dyspnea, headaches, tinnitus, vertigo, skin pallor, cheilosis and koilonychia. The most common causes of IDA are deficiency of iron (caused by low iron intake, impaired iron absorption, increased iron requirements or chronic blood loss), helicobacter infection and hookworm infection. Complications associated with IDA include cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disorders, stunting, thyroid problems, bariatric surgery, GI tract malignancy, and psychiatric/psychological disorders. Four major strategies for prevention and/or management of IDA include dietary diversification, iron supplementation, biofortification and food fortification. There is a dire need to devise cost-effective contextual interventions to effectively address the problem of IDA at a global level.