CHANGES IN BODY IRON STATUS, HEART-RATE, AND UNSPECIFIC SYMPTOMS ACROSS MENSTRUAL-CYCLE IN MARGINALLY IRON-DEFICIENT YOUNG-WOMEN

To determine the body iron status of young women, we screened female u niversity students (n=910: 19-22 years old) in Japan for anemia. The i ncidence of marginal iron deficiency and iron-deficient anemia were 41 .9% and 6.5%, respectively. So, we investigated changes in body iron s tatus across the menstrual cycle in the marginally iron-deficient youn g women. Further, heart rate and unspecific symptoms were examined con currently. Forty-three subjects (19-22 years old) were classified by t heir body iron status into three groups: iron-deficient anemia (hemogl obin, Hb < 12 g/dl; serum ferritin, SF < 17 ng/ml), marginal iron defi ciency (Hb greater than or equal to 12 g/dl, SF < 17 ng/ml), and adequ ate iron status (Hb greater than or equal to 12 g/dl, SF greater than or equal to 7 ng/ml). The marginally iron-deficient group showed a sig nificant decrease in the concentration of Hb and ferritin in serum and an increased resting heart rate level during the luteal phase compare d with those parameters for the follicular phase. These changes were o bserved only in the marginally deficient group. In this group, moreove r, unspecific psychological symptoms were more frequently observed tha n in the other two groups, and these symptoms appeared more frequently during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase. The present study suggests that the decrease in body iron status and the increase in heart rate and unspecific symptoms during the luteal phase were as sociated with marginal iron deficiency in these young women.