THURSDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Low levels of iron in the
blood are associated with an increased risk of dangerous blood
clots that form in a vein, according to the results of a new study
that included patients with an inherited blood vessel disease.
The findings suggest that treating iron deficiency may help
prevent the condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT),
according to the researchers at Imperial College London in
England.
DVT typically occurs in the legs and can cause pain and
swelling, and can be fatal if a blood clot dislodges and travels
into the blood vessels of the lungs. Major surgery, immobility and
cancer are recognized risk factors for blood clots, but there is no
clear cause in many cases.
The new study included 609 patients with hereditary hemorrhagic
telangiectasia (HHT), a genetic disease of the blood vessels that
causes excessive bleeding from the nose and gut. Many HHT patients
have low iron levels due to the loss of iron through bleeding.
Patients in the study with low iron levels were at increased
risk for blood clots, but those who took iron supplements did not
have a higher risk. This suggests that treating iron deficiency may
help prevent DVT in the general population, the researchers said in
a news release from the college.
"Our study shows that in people with HHT, low levels of iron in the blood is a potentially treatable risk factor for blood clots," lead author Dr. Claire Shovlin, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London and an honorary consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said in the news release.
"There are small studies in the general population which would support these findings, but more studies are needed to confirm this. If the finding does apply to the general population, it would have important implications in almost every area of medicine," Shovlin added.
The study is published in the Dec. 14 issue of the journal
Thorax.
About one billion people worldwide are believed to have iron
deficiency anemia, according to the researchers.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about
deep vein thrombosis.