Impact of Iron Deficiency on the Individual
April 2025
TLDR Iron deficiency can cause hair loss and often signals underlying health issues.
Untreated iron depletion can lead to non-anaemic iron deficiency, characterized by reduced haemoglobin production in red cells without affecting overall haemoglobin concentration. This condition involves depleted body iron stores and reduced serum iron indices like ferritin and transferrin saturation. Hair loss is a common symptom of severe iron deficiency. Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia are prevalent in non-pregnant premenopausal women due to menstrual iron loss, while in post-menopausal women and adult men, it often indicates chronic lower intestinal bleeding from conditions like benign colonic polyps or malignancies.