Over Half of Iron Deficiency Diagnoses Remain Untreated After 3 Years, Study Finds

Despite being the most common nutritional deficiency with straightforward management, iron deficiency remains largely overlooked and under-treated. A new study published Thursday in Blood Advances found that three years after its detection, close to 60 percent of hospital patients still had iron deficiency. The researchers said the high rates of unresolved iron deficiency cases may be due to clinicians’ inability to recognize laboratory evidence of iron deficiency, possibly due to following reference values that do not detect the condition. It’s also possible they are unaware of the symptoms of iron deficiency without anemia. Researchers also attribute the delay in resolution to ineffective treatment delivery. For instance, some people are intolerant of oral iron. Other potential contributors include insurance coverage delays and delayed treatment....