Iron status among 3005 women aged 20-55 years in central Norway:: The Nord-Trondelag Health study (the HUNT study)

Objective. To describe the iron status of Norwegian women of fertile age, to show the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia and iron overload, and to demonstrate possible factors connected to and/or influencing iron status. Material and methods. The diagnostic criteria were: (a) anemia: hemoglobin (Hb) < 120, < 117, or < 115 g/l; (b) depleted iron stores: serum ferritin (SF) < 10 or 12 mug/l; iron-deficiency anemia: (a)+(b). Iron overload: SF greater than or equal to110 mug/l. The study was conducted in Central Norway where a total of 3005 women aged 20 to 55 years were enrolled in a health survey program (the HUNT Study). None of the women were pregnant and none had been blood donors in the two previous years. Results. Median SF was 31.0 mug/l. Depleted iron stores were present in 10.9 and 15.1%, respectively. The Hb 2.5% tile among the iron-replete women was 117 g/l. With this cutoff value, anemia was present in 4.7% and iron-deficiency anemia in about 3%. Iron overload was present among 5.2%, and homozygous primary hemochromatosis among 0.4%. Conclusions. The prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia was relatively low and similar to that found earlier in small groups of Norwegian women. The prevalence is comparable with results from other developed countries.