Private MD News
Home |
News |
Anemia and RBC disorders
Obesity may influence blood iron levels
Updated: 2011-07-21 14:40:44 CST Category: Anemia and RBC disorders
Obese individuals may benefit from blood iron testing, as a new study has found that overweight people have higher levels of a hormone that inhibits the activity of iron molecules in the body.
Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron levels. It binds to excess molecules and carries them to the liver for processing. However, when levels of this hormone rise too high, it can result in dangerously low iron blood levels.
Researchers reported in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics that obese children tend to have much higher hepcidin levels. When overweight young people become iron deficient, they respond poorly to treatment. The team arrived at this conclusion after analyzing the hormone and blood iron levels of 70 iron-deficient children, half of whom were obese.
The team noted that previous studies have found a strong correlation between excess fat and higher hepcidin levels. It appears to be associated with excess adipose tissue. This could have important implications for treating individuals who receive unhealthy blood iron tests, as it suggests that they may not benefit as much from conventional treatments.

Related Articles from Private MD:
Share on Facebook
Subscribe to Private MD Health News RSS Feed: 
News Categories:
Advanced Lipid Treatment I
Allergy Testing
Anemia and RBC disorders
Autoimmune Diseases
Bariatric Lab Testing
Blood and Blood Diseases
Breast
Cancer Detection and Tumor Markers
Celiac Disease Testing
Chlamydia
Coagulation and blood clotting disorders
Colon
Diabetes
DNA, Paternity and Genetic testing
Drug Screening
Environmental Toxin Testing
Female Specific Tests
Gastrointestinal Diseases
General Health
General Wellness
Heart Health and Cholesterol
Herpes
HIV
HIV monitoring/Treatment/Testing/Post Diagnos
Hormones and Metabolism
Infectious Diseases
Infertility Testing-Male
Infertitlity Hormone Testing
Kidney Diseases
Leukemia and WBC disorders
Liver
Liver Diseases
Lyme Disease
Male Specific Tests
Menopause/Peri-Menopausal Diagnosis
Organ Specific Testing
Ovarian
Prostate
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Thyroid Diseases
Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment
Visit the Health News Archive: Click Here
Questions about online blood testing or how to order a lab test? Click
here to get started or call us toll-free at
1.877.283.7882. Our certified professionals are ready to assist
you.