The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia is 2 percent in adult men, 9 to 12 percent in non-Hispanic white women, and nearly 20 percent in black and Mexican-American women. Nine percent of patients older than 65 years with iron deficiency anemia have a gastrointestinal cancer when evaluated. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends screening for iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women but not in other groups. Routine iron supplementation is recommended for high-risk infants six to 12 months of age.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. It can cause reduced work capacity in adults1 and impact motor and mental development in children and adolescents. There is some evidence that iron deficiency without anemia affects cognition in adolescent girls and causes fatigue in adult women. IDA may affect visual and auditory functioning and is weakly associated with poor cognitive development in children.

Anemia Symptoms

The symptoms of anemia vary according to the type of anemia, the underlying cause, the severity and any underlying health problems, such as hemorrhaging, ulcers, menstrual problems, or cancer. Specific symptoms of those problems may be noticed first. The body also has a remarkable ability to compensate for early anemia. If your anemia is mild or has developed over a long period of time, you may not notice any symptoms.

Symptoms common to many types of anemia include the following: Easy fatigue and loss of energy, unusually rapid heart beat, particularly with exercise, shortness of breath and headache, particularly with exercise, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, pale skin, leg cramps, insomnia. People with an iron deficiency may experience these symptoms: A hunger for strange substances such as paper, ice, or dirt (a condition called pica), upward curvature of the nails, referred to as koilonychias, soreness of the mouth with cracks at the corners. Click here to review numerous treatment options.