Iron pills may help women beat fatigue

21.06.2012 [14:58]
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Baku, June 21 (AZERTAC). Prescribing iron supplements may help some women with fatigue even if they are not officially anaemic, Swiss researchers suggest.

A severe shortage of iron is the most common cause of anaemia resulting in lethargy, weakness and feeling faint.

Taking too much iron, however, can be dangerous.

The researchers looked at reproductive age women, between 18 and 53, as menstruation is known to lower iron levels.

They said unexplained fatigue was a common problem in doctors' surgeries, but it was as yet unknown whether iron supplements could help these women.

Medical "fatigue scores" were recorded before treatment and after 12 weeks of taking the medication.

One of the researchers, Dr Bernard Favrat from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, said: "We found that iron supplementation for 12 weeks decreased fatigue [scores] by 50%.

He said fatigue was not fully understood and other factors such as exercise, diet and sleep patterns played a role.

Iron pills may help women beat fatigue

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