Clinical Nutrition

Lesson 7: Anemia

Work performance

In adults, impaired physical work performance is the most well documented manifestation of iron deficiency. This affects productivity and therefore has economic implications. Reduced hemoglobin in anemia is associated with reduced blood oxygen content and this reduces the cytochrome mediated ATP production and reduced energy for physical work performance.

• Plasma Ferritin levels give an idea of iron stores.
  
• Transferrin saturation gauges iron supply to tissues.
  
• Hemoglobin and Hematocrit measurements can indicate anemia.
• Ratio of zinc protoporphyrin to heme indicates iron supply to developing RBCs.