What Should You Know About Anaemia
Did you know that anaemia affects nearly two billion people worldwide? This staggering number highlights how widespread anaemia is. It's the third-leading cause of disability globally, but the good news is that it’s treatable. Anaemia occurs when your body doesn't have enough red blood cells or when the haemoglobin levels in those cells are too low. This means your blood can't carry enough oxygen to your organs and tissues, leading to symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and dizziness.
Anaemia is common, especially among women and children. When your body doesn’t have enough haemoglobin, it can’t deliver the oxygen your organs and tissues need, which can cause serious problems like developmental delays in children and complications during pregnancy.
Common Causes of Anaemia
Anaemia comes in over 400 different types, each with specific causes. However, the most common forms are linked to deficiencies in key nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, and folate.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency:
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a significant concern, particularly in Ireland. Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining healthy nerve cells and blood cells and supports the production of DNA, the genetic material in all your cells. Since your body cannot produce vitamin B12 on its own, you must obtain it from your diet.
Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs. It is also available in fortified foods like certain cereals, bread, and nutritional yeast. A lack of this essential nutrient can lead to a range of health issues, from fatigue and weakness to more serious neurological problems.
Adults need around 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B12 daily. Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals require more. The amount of vitamin B12 needed by babies and children varies with age. To prevent vitamin B12 deficiency, it’s important to include B12-rich foods in your diet or take a daily vitamin B12. This is especially crucial if you are at higher risk due to dietary habits or other factors. Regular screening and monitoring can help ensure you maintain adequate vitamin B12 levels.
Folate (Vitamin B9) Deficiency:
When your body doesn’t have enough folate (vitamin B9), it can lead to a reduced number of red blood cells. The red blood cells that are produced may also be abnormally large, which means they can’t carry as much oxygen throughout your body. Over time, this lack of oxygen can make you feel weak, tired, or cold.
Folate is a crucial B vitamin that supports many vital functions, including the production of red blood cells and the conversion of carbohydrates into energy. To avoid folate deficiency anaemia, it’s important to eat foods rich in folate, such as leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and fortified cereals.
While regularly eating these foods and maintaining a balanced diet will help your body, it may not be enough. It’s difficult to obtain sufficient folic acid from food alone because folic acid is synthetic, and folate doesn’t naturally occur in significant amounts in food. It’s especially important to keep your folate levels up during times of rapid growth, such as during pregnancy, infancy, and adolescence.
The World Health Organization advises that women should take a daily supplement of 400µg of folic acid while trying to conceive and continue until the end of the first trimester (3 months into pregnancy). Since it’s challenging to get the necessary amount of folic acid from food alone, taking a folic acid supplement is crucial. Sona Folic Acid provides 100% of the recommended daily dose per tablet for use before and during pregnancy.
Iron Deficiency:
Iron is an essential mineral needed for life. It helps produce red blood cells, which transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Without enough iron, the body can't produce sufficient red blood cells, leading to iron deficiency anaemia. This is the most common type of anaemia worldwide, affecting about 15% of people, particularly women.
How much iron your body absorbs from food depends largely on your current iron levels. On average, a healthy body absorbs about 18% of the iron from a typical diet that includes animal products and around 10% from a vegetarian diet.
Iron deficiency might happen due to rapid growth during childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, or menstruation, all of which increase the need for iron. Chronic blood loss from conditions like ulcers, heavy periods, or chemotherapy can also cause significant iron loss. Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia include fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. These symptoms might not always be obvious. Regular screening can help prevent iron deficiency anaemia.
Certain groups need to be especially careful about their iron levels. These include pregnant women, growing children, individuals with heavy menstrual cycles, and those with chronic blood loss or undergoing chemotherapy. During pregnancy, your body needs twice as much iron to produce additional blood, ensuring your baby receives enough oxygen. Iron deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight and premature delivery. The recommended dose is 16-20mg of iron daily. Sona Iron Complete Max is a specially formulated, delicious-tasting iron supplement that provides 20mg of iron per serving without causing constipation.
Ireland and Anaemia: Key Insights and Findings
A recent study from the University of Limerick has found high rates of anaemia among patients in the Irish health system. Alarmingly, it also showed low screening rates for common causes like vitamin B12, folate, and iron deficiencies. The research, published in BJGP Open, is the largest of its kind to examine anaemia and its causes in Ireland.
The study revealed that 12% of Irish patients have anaemia, affecting 1 in 8 women (13.2%) and 1 in 10 men (10.5%). Most cases were mild, but nearly 3% had moderate to severe anaemia. The condition was especially common in the elderly and those with conditions like kidney disease and diabetes.
Despite the high rates, screening for anaemia’s causes was low. Less than 20% of anaemic patients were tested for vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies, and only one-third were screened for iron deficiency. These findings show a clear need for better screening and treatment to address anaemia in Ireland.
Over a 12-month follow-up, screening rates improved slightly. For B12 and folate deficiencies, screening reached 30%, and for iron deficiency, it doubled to 46%. These results highlight that common causes of anaemia are often not adequately tested in the broader health system, especially among high-risk groups.
Professor Stack emphasized the importance of screening for and identifying the underlying causes of anaemia. These deficiencies are easily treatable in modern clinical practice, leading to significant improvements in anaemia.
The research was funded by the Health Research Board (HRB). Dr. Mairéad O'Driscoll, Chief Executive of the HRB, noted that the insights from this research have the potential to improve health service delivery.
References;
University of Limerick. "New study reveals high prevalence of anaemia with low rates of screening." ScienceDaily.
Culleton BF, Manns BJ, Zhang J, et al.Impact of anemia on hospitalization and mortality in older adults. Blood 107 (10):3841–3846, doi:10.1182/blood-2005-10-4308, pmid:16403909
Coad J, Pedley K. Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in women. Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Investig. 2014;74(sup244):82–89. doi: 10.3109/00365513.2014.936694
Voluntary fortification is ineffective to maintain the vitamin B12 and folate status of older Irish adults: evidence from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Laird EJ, O'Halloran AM, Carey D, O'Connor D, Kenny RA, Molloy AM.Br J Nutr. 2018 Jul;120(1):111-120. doi: 10.1017/S0007114518001356.PMID: 29936926
https://www2.hse.ie/medicines/folic-acid/