Fast Five Quiz: Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia

James L. Harper, MD

Disclosures

October 22, 2021

Figure 1. Iron deficiency anemia. Computer illustration showing hypochromic (stain poorly) and microcytic (small) red blood cells. A small lymphocyte is drawn for size comparison.

Populations that may be at elevated risk for iron deficiency anemia include distance runners and triathletes, adolescent female patients with heavy menstrual bleeding, patients with heart failure, patients with chronic kidney disease or who have received a kidney transplant, and patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. The condition is also associated with a variety of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Pica is a symptom of iron deficiency anemia, not a cause.

Learn more about the etiology of iron deficiency anemia.

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