Latent iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia in women with heavy menstruations

Latent iron deficiency (LID) and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) are wide spread in the female population. Heavy menstrual bleeding is considered to be the most common cause of LID and IDA in reproductive-aged women.

Objective: to present the authors’ own experience with Ferretab comp. used to treat IDA and iron-deficiency states in patients with profuse uterine bleeding.

Materials and methods: Thirty-four reproductive-aged (18- and 45-year-old) women with profuse uterine bleeding (PUB) during their menstruations were examined and treated at the Clinical Base of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Consulting Center, Novosibirsk State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, in 2020–2022. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 consisted of 22 female patients with mild IDA (hemoglobin was below 120 g/l and above 99 g/l); Group 2 included 12 patients with LID (the serum ferritin level was below 30 µg/l).

To treat iron deficiency, the physicians used the oral agent containing 163.56 mg of iron (II) furamate in one capsule equivalent to 50 mg of iron and 500 µg of folic acid. A treatment regimen was chosen according to the diagnosis of IDA (the daily dose was 2 capsules) and LID (the daily dose was 1 capsule). The efficiency of therapy was evaluated after 8 weeks from the time course of changes in the levels of hemoglobin and serum ferritin, as well as from the health status of the female patients, and their complaints associated with iron deficiency.

Results: The analysis of therapy results has shown an increase in the level of hemoglobin from 110 g/l to 122 g/l in Group 1 and from 124 g/l to 132 g/l in Group 2 and a rise in the level of ferritin from 12.5 µg/l to 27 µg/l in group 1 and from 21 µg/l to 32.6 µg/l in Group 2.

Conclusion: By taking into account the high incidence of iron-deficiency states in PUB, the need for consulting women by outpatient physicians is beyond question. When profuse menstrual bleeding is detected, it is advisable for the patients to have full blood count, ferritin test, and to timely use iron agents.