Iron Deficiency Increases Risk of Dangerous Blood Clots

The risk of dangerous blood clots is drastically increased due to deficiency of iron, according to a new study published in the journal Thorax. Researchers from the Imperial College London observed more than 600 patients suffering from an inherited form of blood vessels disease known as haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). HTT is characterized by excessive bleeding from the nose and gut.

The researchers found that majority of the patients had low iron content due to excessive bleeding and had a high risk of suffering from blood clots, which reduced when they took iron supplements. The researchers found that a blood-iron level of six micromoles per litre increased the risk of venous thrombosis by more than 2.5 times.

“Our study shows that in people with HHT, low levels of iron in the blood is a potentially treatable risk factor for blood clots. There are small studies in the general population which would support these findings, but more studies are needed to confirm this”, lead researcher Dr Claire Shovlin said.

Source-Medindia