Forty to fifty-five-year-old women and iron deficiency: clinical considerations and quality of life

Abstract

Between the age of 40 and 55 years, women experience important changes in their lives. This period, which corresponds to the perimenopause for most women, is associated with the risk of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The clinical presentation of anemia can be misleading, and the underlying cause, particularly bleeding, is frequently treated without concomitant iron prescription. Iron deficiency (ID) remains a social and economic burden in European countries. Underdiagnosed and undertreated, this problem has a strong negative impact on women’s quality of life. The risk factors for ID are well known. The physician’s role is essential in recognizing the symptoms, identifying the risk factors, detecting IDA by testing hemoglobin, and evaluating the degree of ID by measuring serum ferritin (SF). Iron therapy treats the anemia and restores iron stores, thus decreasing symptoms such as fatigue and restoring quality of life. Among the available forms of iron, evidence is in favor of ferrous sulfate in a slow release formulation, which is well-tolerated and results in good adherence, a key factor for efficacious supplementation.

Chinese abstract

女性在40至55岁之间会经历重大的变化。这个时期对应大部分女性的围绝经期, 与缺铁性贫血（IDA）的发生风险相关。贫血的临床表现可能具有误导性, 且其根本病因（特别是出血）的治疗通常不给予铁剂。缺铁（ID）给欧洲国家带来了社会与经济负担, 若不进行诊断与治疗, 也会极大地影响女性的生活质量。ID的危险因素非常明确。医生的职责是识别症状、判断危险因素, 通过检测血红蛋白诊断IDA, 并测定血清铁蛋白（SF）来评估ID的严重程度。补铁可治疗贫血、恢复铁储备, 从而减少疲劳, 提高女性生活质量。在可用的铁剂形式中, 证据表明硫酸亚铁缓释剂具有较好的效果, 且耐受性与依从性佳, 这是保证补铁有效的关键因素。

Keywords:

• Anemia
• ferrous sulfate
• iron deficiency
• middle-aged women
• quality of life

View correction statement:

Correction to: Firquet et al., Forty to fifty-five year-old women and iron deficiency: clinical considerations and quality of life

Declaration of interest

All authors report receiving fees from Pierre Fabre Medicament for preparing and presenting the information included in this review, which they presented at the symposium entitled “Women 40–55 Years Old: Clinical Considerations and Quality of Life”, held at the 15th World Congress of the International Menopause Society in September 2016 in Prague. Funding for editorial support was provided by Pierre Fabre Medicament.