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American doctors have been trained to relentlessly
check patients for anemia, but most older people may have too
much iron in their bodies rather than too little.
Nearly 13% of
volunteers checked as part of an ongoing heart disease study had
too much iron, while only 3% had low stores putting them at
risk of anemia.
Having too much iron in the blood can put people at
risk of
- cancer
- diabetes
- heart disease
Several studies have shown that people in industrialized
nations who regularly donate blood, thus depleting iron stores somewhat,
have a lower risk of heart attack.
Older people eating a standard Western diet, which
is rich in red meat and thus in iron, seem to get plenty of iron.
Supplements that contain
extra iron may be dangerous.
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