Anemia at Altitude: Iron Deficiency and Other Acquired Anemias

DeLoughery, Thomas G. Anemia at altitude: iron deficiency and other acquired anemias. High Alt Med Biol. 22:245–248, 2021.—Acquired anemias are common throughout the world. This article will discuss iron deficiency and other acquired causes of anemia such as inflammation and renal disease. Iron deficiency with or without anemia can detract from performance and may be a risk factor for altitude sickness. Anyone considering going to altitude should be screened for iron deficiency with a serum ferritin if they have risk factors for iron deficiency. The effects of other acquired anemias are less well defined. Several other diseases can also lead to anemia, and altitude challenges are more related to the underlying disease than to anemia.