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Anthony J. Brown, MD
Reuters Health Information
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 12 - Helicobacter pylori infection, which affects about a third of adults in the US, is associated with an increased risk of iron deficiency and related anemia, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology for January 15.
Moreover, this relationship holds true even in the absence of peptic ulcer disease, which can cause iron-deficiency anemia through hemorrhage.
"For the first time in a national sample of the US population, we found an apparent link between H. pylori infection and iron deficiency" and iron-deficiency anemia, lead author Dr. Victor M. Cardenas, from the University of Texas at Houston, told Reuters Health.
The new findings are based on an analysis of data from the current National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2000). Data on 7462 subjects who were at least 3 years of age were included in the analysis.
The presence of H. pylori infection raised the risk of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia by 1.4- and 2.6-fold, respectively. H. pylori infection was also tied to other types of anemia, but to a much lesser extent.
How might H. pylori infection promote iron deficiency short of causing a bleeding ulcer? "The rapid turnover of H. pylori, which seems to sequester iron, is one possible mechanism," Dr. Cardenas said.
He added that his group is now seeking funding for a randomized trial looking at whether H. pylori eradication can improve iron deficiency in children.