Clinical iron deficiency disturbs normal human responses to hypoxia.

Background: Iron bioavailability has been identified as a factor that influences cellular hypoxia sensing, putatively via an action on the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway. We therefore hypothesized that clinical iron deficiency would disturb integrated human responses to hypoxia.

Methods: We performed a prospective, controlled, observational study of the effects of iron status on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

A cross-sectional study of the prevalence and associations of iron deficiency in a cohort of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, is associated with other chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure, where it predicts a worse outcome. However, the prevalence of iron deficiency in COPD is unknown.