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Diagnosis

Iron deficiency is often hiding in plain sight and can be easy to overlook1,4 

Iron deficiency (ID)/iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) can have a broad range of symptoms, with fatigue being the most common.1 

  • Fatigue, low 
    energy
  • Hair loss, pallor, 
    brittle nails
  • Headache, 
    dizziness

 

  • Chest pain, shortness 
    of breath
  • Impaired cognition, 
    mental fog
  • Cold 
    insensitivity
  • Irritability, 
    depression 

Consider ID/IDA in your female patients with unexplained fatigue, particularly if they:1,4–7 

Have abnormal uterine bleeding

Have abnormal uterine bleeding, e.g. heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) or endometriosis 

pregnant

Are pregnant or postpartum  

plant

Follow a vegan or vegetarian diet 

Detect ID early before progression to anaemia4,8
fe
Diagnostic tests for ID
  • Serum ferritin is the most accurate indicator of ID in the absence of inflammation9
  • In adults, including pregnant women, ID is defined as serum ferritin level <30 µg/L9,10
  • In the context of comorbidities, such as inflammation, serum ferritin <100 μg/L or higher may be used, in combination with TSAT <20%9,11
Test Tubes
Diagnostic tests for IDA
  • The presence of anaemia is confirmed by Hb concentration9
  • In non-pregnant women, anaemia is defined as Hb <12 g/dL9
  • During pregnancy, it can be defined as Hb <11 g/dL in the first and third trimesters and Hb <10.5 g/dL in the second trimester10
  • In the postpartum period, anaemia is confirmed by Hb <12 g/dL (<10 g/dL is clinically significant anaemia)7,10

Timely identification is critical4,8 – if you suspect ID/IDA,  
assess Hb and ferritin to get the full picture9  

Iron Matters
Treatment
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