Strange, it may appear. Yes, the headline that you happened to read is correct and by the expert advice of our veteran ENT specialist with 41 years of experience. "The single most important reason for iron deficiency especially in females, I have found is drinking tea which is a very powerful chelating agent, must absolutely avoid this especially because I have seen too many young females suffering from iron deficiency anaemia causing by throat cancer (post cricoid cancer). Don't touch tea...and periodically get the haemoglobin checked" warns the Doctor, wishing to remain anonymous.
Transferrin saturation
Transferrin saturation: average 25%
Transferrin saturation (TS), measured as a percentage, is a medical laboratory value. It is the value of serum iron divided by the total iron-binding capacity of the available transferrin, the main protein that binds iron in the blood, this value tells a clinician how much serum iron is bound.
For instance, a value of 15% means that 15% of iron-binding sites of transferrin are occupied by iron. The three results are usually reported together. A low transferrin saturation is a common indicator of iron deficiency anemia whereas a high transferrin saturation may indicate iron overload or hemochromatosis.
Transferrin saturation is also called transferrin saturation index (TSI) or transferrin saturation percentage (TS%)
Interpretation
Studies also reveal that a transferrin saturation (serum iron concentration ÷ total iron binding capacity) of over 60 per cent in men and over 50 per cent in women identified the presence of an abnormality in iron metabolism (hereditary hemochromatosis, heterozygotes and homozygotes) with approximately 95 per cent accuracy. This finding helps in the early diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis, especially while serum ferritin still remains low. The retained iron in hereditary hemochromatosis is primarily deposited in parenchymal cells, with reticuloendothelial cell accumulation occurring very late in the disease. This is in contrast to transfusional iron overload in which iron deposition occurs first in the reticuloendothelial cells and then in parenchymal cells. This explains why ferritin levels remain relatively low in hereditary hemochromatosis, while transferrin saturation is high.
Normal reference ranges are:
Serum iron: 60–170 μg/dL (10–30 μmol/L)
Total iron-binding capacity: 240–450 μg/dL
Transferrin saturation: average 25%. Reference ranges depend on multiple factors like age, sex, race and test devices. Most laboratories define “normal” as max. 30% for females and max. 45% for male persons. Above 50% the risk of toxic non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) rises exponentially, potentially causing organ damage
A transferrin saturation of < 16% is usually considered to indicate an inadequate iron supply for erythropoiesis. The most valuable use of transferrin saturation is for the detection of hereditary haemochromatosis. Even in the early stages of the development of iron overload, elevated transferrin saturation is indicative of the disorder. The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guideline suggests thresholds of > 50% for men and > 45% for women.34
The single most important reason for iron deficiency especially in females, I have found is drinking tea which is a very powerful chelating agent, must absolutely avoid this especially because I have seen too many young females suffering from iron deficiency anaemia causing by throat cancer (post cricoid cancer).
Don't touch tea...and periodically get the haemoglobin checked.
What are Chelating agents?
Chelating agents are chemical compounds that react with metal ions to form a stable, water-soluble complex. They are known as chelates.
Chelating agents have a ring-like centre which forms at least two bonds with the metal ion allowing it to be excreted.
Chelating agents are usually organic compounds (a compound that contains carbon).
Specific chelating agents bind iron, lead, or copper in the blood and can be used to treat excessively high levels of these metals.
Chelating agents may also be used in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning.
Inputs courtesy: Veteran ENT specialist with 41 years of experience, and who prefers to remain anonymous.
Transferrin saturation
Transferrin saturation: average 25%
Transferrin saturation (TS), measured as a percentage, is a medical laboratory value. It is the value of serum iron divided by the total iron-binding capacity of the available transferrin, the main protein that binds iron in the blood, this value tells a clinician how much serum iron is bound.
For instance, a value of 15% means that 15% of iron-binding sites of transferrin are occupied by iron. The three results are usually reported together. A low transferrin saturation is a common indicator of iron deficiency anemia whereas a high transferrin saturation may indicate iron overload or hemochromatosis.
Transferrin saturation is also called transferrin saturation index (TSI) or transferrin saturation percentage (TS%)
Interpretation
Studies also reveal that a transferrin saturation (serum iron concentration ÷ total iron binding capacity) of over 60 per cent in men and over 50 per cent in women identified the presence of an abnormality in iron metabolism (hereditary hemochromatosis, heterozygotes and homozygotes) with approximately 95 per cent accuracy. This finding helps in the early diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis, especially while serum ferritin still remains low. The retained iron in hereditary hemochromatosis is primarily deposited in parenchymal cells, with reticuloendothelial cell accumulation occurring very late in the disease. This is in contrast to transfusional iron overload in which iron deposition occurs first in the reticuloendothelial cells and then in parenchymal cells. This explains why ferritin levels remain relatively low in hereditary hemochromatosis, while transferrin saturation is high.
Normal reference ranges are:
Serum iron: 60–170 μg/dL (10–30 μmol/L)
Total iron-binding capacity: 240–450 μg/dL
Transferrin saturation: average 25%. Reference ranges depend on multiple factors like age, sex, race and test devices. Most laboratories define “normal” as max. 30% for females and max. 45% for male persons. Above 50% the risk of toxic non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) rises exponentially, potentially causing organ damage
A transferrin saturation of < 16% is usually considered to indicate an inadequate iron supply for erythropoiesis. The most valuable use of transferrin saturation is for the detection of hereditary haemochromatosis. Even in the early stages of the development of iron overload, elevated transferrin saturation is indicative of the disorder. The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guideline suggests thresholds of > 50% for men and > 45% for women.34
The single most important reason for iron deficiency especially in females, I have found is drinking tea which is a very powerful chelating agent, must absolutely avoid this especially because I have seen too many young females suffering from iron deficiency anaemia causing by throat cancer (post cricoid cancer).
Don't touch tea...and periodically get the haemoglobin checked.
What are Chelating agents?
Chelating agents are chemical compounds that react with metal ions to form a stable, water-soluble complex. They are known as chelates.
Chelating agents have a ring-like centre which forms at least two bonds with the metal ion allowing it to be excreted.
Chelating agents are usually organic compounds (a compound that contains carbon).
Specific chelating agents bind iron, lead, or copper in the blood and can be used to treat excessively high levels of these metals.
Chelating agents may also be used in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning.
Inputs courtesy: Veteran ENT specialist with 41 years of experience, and who prefers to remain anonymous.
So sad,I love drinking tea.
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