title: Health-related quality of life among Japanese women with iron-deficiency anemia.
abstract: Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common disease in females of childbearing age. Although iron supplementation quickly improves laboratory-measured parameters, its effect on health-related quality of life is unknown. Here, we conducted a prospective follow-up study to evaluate health-related quality of life in pre-menopausal women diagnosed with IDA. A convenience sample of 92 patients who visited Tokai University Hospital and three other affiliated hospitals were asked to fill out the Medical Outcome Study 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) during the course of treatment (baseline, and 1 and 3 months after the start of treatment). At baseline, vitality and general health scores were significantly lower than the Japanese national norms. After the start of therapy, however, a significant improvement was seen in all domain scores except role emotional (RE), and at 3 months all eight scores were comparable to or greater than the national norms. In particular, physical functioning and vitality scores of patients with a lower hemoglobin level ( < 9.0 g/dl) at baseline showed a dramatic improvement. Iron supplementation in IDA patients improves not only hemoglobin levels, but also physical function, vitality, and general health perception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Bohseidai, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. andok@keyaki.cc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Jaeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wasada
authors.forename: Tomomitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hotta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D007501:Iron