Equipoise Healthcare

Tired? Cold? Feel like your thyroid is low but it isn't? It might be iron deficiency. Iron is a critical element used in virtually every part of the body. 25 years ago, it was thought that iron primarily mattered for red blood cells, thus if you weren't anemic, you were "fine." Now we know better.

Around 2001, research demonstrated that iron is incorporated directly into the developing brain of children, especially under age 2 years, making this a critical time for optimal iron status.

Since then, the role of iron has been demonstrated in multiple other tissues, including your immune system, brain, hormones (including thyroid), and basically everything else.

Laboratories continue to report the storage transporter for iron, "ferritin," as being normal if it's above 12 or 15. However the medical literature has long disputed this. Kids who are otherwise healthy should have a ferritin above 30. Kids with neurologic, psychiatric, developmental, or connective tissue disorders should target a ferritin above 50. Kids with a history of significant or refractory iron deficiency will likely also benefit from a higher ferritin, above 50. Last year, the American Gastroenterological Association recommended that the lower limit of ferritin be set at 45 for adults. In our practice, we generally set the upper limit around 100, although some people consider 150 to be acceptable.

Note that ferritin is an inflammatory marker, so it can be spuriously elevated even in situations like having a minor viral illness. In fact, it's a pretty labile molecule that acts kind of like a prima donna. This can make it hard to pin down, and you might have levels that seem pretty good but which are actually reflecting inflammation rather than excellent iron status. One clue is to look at your iron saturation. If it's low, but your ferritin is normal or high, then this might be a sign of inflammation.

Inclement Weather!
We will close early at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 22, due to the storm coming.
Stay safe and warm!

Equipoise Healthcare will begin to offer in-person classes for a variety of common medical and parenting topics for $25 per person. Classes will begin in January and will be held at our office. Group size will be limited to 15 participants per class. We welcome any adults who want to learn, as well as teens who are old enough to begin learning about their own health. You don't have to be a patient here in order to sign up, however, RSVP will be required!

Since it's hard to focus with little kids running around, you may be better served by having little ones stay home with another adult. However, we are a pediatric clinic literally built for kids. So if you need to bring your little one, we can handle that.

Leave a comment with which of the following topics you'd like to attend:

Newborns
Early childhood development
Fever
Asthma
Allergies
Eczema
Living as an immunocompromised person
Sleep problems in kids
Constipation
Connective tissue disorders
Vaccines
Upper respiratory infections
Nausea and vomiting
Ear infections
Iron
Autism
ADHD
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