Volume 5, Number 3—June 1999
Perspective
Iron Loading and Disease Surveillance
Eugene D. Weinberg
Table 5
Methods of strengthening the iron withholding defense system
| Reduction of excessive intake of ingested iron |
| Decreased consumption of red meats (heme iron) |
| Avoidance of processed foods that have been adulterated with inorganic iron or with blood |
| Decreased consumption of alcohol and ascorbic acid |
| Elimination of iron supplements unless an iron deficiency has been correctly diagnosed |
| Reduction of excessive intake of parenteral iron |
| Inject iron saccharates only if unequivocally justified |
| Transfuse blood or erythrocytes only if unequivocally justified |
| Substitute erythropoietin (+ minimal amount of iron) for whole blood transfusions when possible |
| Reduction of excessive inhalation of iron |
| Eliminate use of tobacco |
| Use iron-free chrysotile in place of iron-loaded amosite, crocidolite, tremolite varieties of asbestos |
| Use mask to avoid inhalation of urban air particulates |
| Use mask and protective clothing when mining or cutting ferriferous substances |
| Reduction of iron burden by regular depletion of whole blood or erythrocytes |
| Avoidance of premature hysterectomy |
| Routine ingestion of aspirin |
| Regular donations of whole blood or erythrocytes |
| Vigorous exercise |
| Increased use of iron chelators |
| Use human milk (high in lactoferrin, low in iron) rather than milk formula (lacking in lactoferrin, high in iron) in nursling nutrition |
| Use tea (iron-binding tannins) and bran (iron-binding phytic acid) |
| Continue research and development (R&D) of potential iron chelator drugs (e.g., recombinant human lactoferrin; hydroxpyridones; pyridoxal isonicotinoyl hydrazones) |
| Initiation of prompt therapy of chronic infections and neoplastic diseases to forestall saturation of iron withholding defense system |
| Continued R&D of cytokines such as interferon g that induce cellular iron withholding |
| Continued R&D of passive and active methods of immunization against surface receptor proteins used by microbial and neoplastic cells to obtain iron |
Page created: December 10, 2010
Page updated: December 10, 2010
Page reviewed: December 10, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.