The Iron Suites Medical Centre

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Endurance Exercise Performance & Iron Deficiency

Did you know iron deficiency can hold back you achieving your maximum potential?

Iron is critical not only for carrying oxygen (with haemoglobin) but also for numerous iron containing proteins (including myoglobin in muscles) and energy production pathways.

Iron deficiency is usually more common in endurance athletes (especially females) and regular checks may be warranted - especially if suffering unexplained fatigue or tiredness.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week to all the mummy worriers out there!

Many people think that breastfeeding is natural and will come easily when the baby arrives. Unfortunately, many mothers do struggle without help in the first few weeks. Breastfeeding is entirely a new skill and something which they may not have seen before.

Our very own expert Dr Mythili Pandi is there to help.

Contact us for more information.

Consider this your invite!

This pandemic has changed and challenged the field of health and medicine. 💊

More than ever, this is the best time to discuss what the Future of Health could and should look like for us all. 🩺

This is why we would like to invite you to join us at The Future of Health Summit, happening this 🗓️ August 1st, 2021.

We will be discussing the most common nutrient deficiency with Dr Cheryl.

Dr Kam has brought together 30 experts from all over the globe to bring you this event.

Access is complimentary for now, so please make sure you're registered...

Sign up now! - https://www.drcherylkam.com/a/2147491446/dSm7FCKc
Link also in bio

RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME & IRON DEFICIENCY

A recent study evaluated the effect of treating patients suffering from restless leg syndrome with IV iron.
After 6 weeks the post-infusion group, showed significant improvement compared to the placebo group.
Among secondary outcome variables, quality of sleep showed significant improvement.
61% of study participants remained off medications for restless leg syndrome for 52 weeks after treatment.
IV iron is a safe and efficient treatment to treat restless leg syndrome that is caused by iron deficiency anaemia.

Link to study:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34157632/

Pre-departure Covid Swab Test now available in our clinic. Extensive measures have been put in place to keep you and our staff safe.

We are now offering Pre-departure COVID Swap Tests. Extensive safety measures have been put in place to keep you and our staff safe.

Why is iron important for the growing baby?

🔸️Iron is essential for the neurological, cognitive and physical development of the fetus.

🔸️Babies aquire their initial iron stores from their mother during pregnancy. Only after commencing solid food sources will the child start absorbing iron.

🔸️Approximately 400mg of iron is needed by the foetus and the placenta.

🔸️Studies have shown that iron deficiency may impact a child's emotional, cognitive and behavioural function. Hence healthy iron stores in pregnant mothers are important for the developing fetus.

🔸️Iron is preferentially given to the developing foetus which may leave the mother with decreased reserves
or insufficient iron for functioning.

Did you know that 1 in 3 women suffer from iron deficiency, mostly caused by menstrual bleeding and pregnancy?

Clinical studies have shown that early detection and treatment of iron deficiency can restore personal health and well-being and can be diagnosed by a simple blood test.

Appropriate treatment can additionally have the benefit of giving your skin a healthy glow and may result in better nail and hair quality.

Selamat Hari Raya to everyone celebrating 💫🕌

HAIRLOSS & IRON DEFICIENCY

Iron is present in every cell of the body and is an essential element of hair and nail growth. Usually hair loss is one of the first symptoms of iron deficiency and is associated with Serum Ferritin levels falling below

Iron deficiency is a nutritional deficiency that affects every 3rd women but only very few men below the age of 55.

Iron deficiency can have multiple causes.

The key cause is blood loss due to menstruation as well as pregnancy as every pregnancy requires roughly 1/3 of a woman's Iron stores. Other causes could be not enough Iron intake through diet or GI issues which could hinder iron absorption.

Our doctors consult patients in-depth to establish the cause of iron deficiency before offering any treatment options.

The most commonly used (and cheapest) iron supplements are ferrous salts (e.g., ferrous sulfate or ferrous fumerate). The ferrous (or Fe2+) form of iron is absorbed by the body in both a controlled and uncontrolled manner. It is this uncontrolled uptake that can lead to oversaturation of the iron transfer system and lead to unwanted side effects such as nausea, constipation or diarrhoea plus continued unregulated use could potentially lead to iron overload. Just to make things worse, ferrous iron formulations have a rust or blood like taste further decreasing most people’s desire to take routinely and for the required, many months.

At The Iron Suites we prescribe ferric (Fe3+) iron compounds which are absorbed via a controlled manner (similar to the iron from food) and not the uncontrolled manner. Clinical trials with ferric iron compounds have shown significantly fewer GI related side effects.

Additionally, they have the benefit of being able to be taken with food or other supplements (meaning you can take them any time of the day) as well as often having a preferable taste.
The other reason for our preference for the ferric form of iron is the very low chance of overdosing. For instance, if 30 tablets of ferrous sulfate or ferrous fumerate were accidentally ingested by you or your child there would be a very high risk of severe or even fatal outcomes (due to the uncontrolled absorption) whilst the ferric forms will pass straight through with very low (if any) risk for toxicity.

Independent of the oral iron formulation used, the response after commencing should be checked. Not everyone will be able to absorb supplements to the degree needed to correct iron deficiency. Checking after ~1 month is important for iron deficient anaemic patients and ideally an increase of at least 1g/dl should be observed. For the patient with iron deficiency (and normal Hb levels), we aim to see an increase in ferritin from baseline and ideally a concentration of greater than 30ng/mL after 3 months of continuous use.