Prevalence of signs and symptoms among iron deficient college-age individuals and its use as a predictor of iron deficiency

The study investigated non-anemic iron deficiency (NA-ID) among 100 college-age individuals (65 females, 35 males) to identify predictors of this condition, where hemoglobin and hematocrit levels are normal, but serum ferritin is low. It found that 26% of female participants had low serum ferritin, with 10 being anemic. The study revealed that the presence of two or more symptoms, such as constipation, inability to lose weight with exercise, feeling cold, restless legs syndrome, low systolic blood pressure, feeling depressed, and having a sweet tooth, could predict iron deficiency with 76% sensitivity and 53% specificity. These symptoms could serve as a screening tool for further blood tests to assess iron status beyond basic hemoglobin and hematocrit tests.