News
Adequate vitamin D levels may reduce frailty risk
17 December 2010
Maintaining defined vitamin D blood levels can reduce the incidence of frailty in older women, suggests a new US study.
27 July 2012
According to a new study, daily iron supplementation should be considered for iron-deficient women with unexplained fatigue.
The randomized controlled trial included 198 non- anemic women aged 18–53 who had complained of fatigue and who had ferritin levels of less than 50 ug/L and hemoglobin levels greater than 12.0 g/dL. The women were assigned to receive either oral ferrous sulfate (80 mg of elemental iron daily) or a placebo for 12 weeks (1). The study results showed that iron supplementation was associated with a 48% decrease in fatigue scores compared to a 29% decrease in the placebo group. Hemoglobin and ferritin levels significantly increased in the group receiving supplements. No significant effects on quality of life, depression or anxiety were detected.
The researchers commented that iron deficiency may be an under-recognized cause of fatigue in women of child-bearing age. If fatigue is not due to secondary causes, the identification of iron deficiency as a potential cause may prevent inappropriate attribution of symptoms to supposed emotional causes or life stressors. Unnecessary use of health care resources, including inappropriate pharmacological treatments, may there-fore be avoided.
17 December 2010
Maintaining defined vitamin D blood levels can reduce the incidence of frailty in older women, suggests a new US study.
1 May 2017
1 October 2010
Variants in vitamin B9-related genes may increase the risk of having a fetus with congenital heart defect when maternal lifestyle factors that alter folate metabolism are present, says a new US study.