arrythmia better or worse from low iron?
. an elder who visited the doctor for afib
(atrial fibrillation or arrythmia)
was told that one aggravating factor was that
her ovo-vegetarianism had resulted in low iron
and that she needed to take iron supplements.
. I was surprised to hear this,
because it was previously believed that
higher iron levels involved oxidative stress
and men were being encouraged to give blood
in order to keep their iron low.
[Amer J Epi 1998]
. however, ...
there have been cases where
an anemic elder's afib attack
was cured be receiving additional blood.
[JAMA 1970]
. it is very common in the elderly
to have both increasing anemia
and an increased likelihood of afib;
[J Atr Fibrillation. 2016]
but the cause for the anemia
is often not due to low iron,
but elder's failure to absorb B12;
(pernicious anemia).
. or from some combination of
renal insufficiency,
and age-related conditions that inhibit
erythropoiesis (formation of red blood cells):
# proinflammatory cytokines;
# declining androgens such as testosterone;
# Hematopoietic stem cells decline in both
replicative and proliferative capacity.
[Semin Hematol. 2008]
. one study associated low iron with
persistent afib, and with heart failure,
but not with brief afib.
[Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. 2018]
. there are anecdotes of arrythmias being
worsened by losing too much blood;
or not making enough blood.
. and also reports showing men with
iron levels on the high end of normal
getting less afib after losing blood.
. what's most important to consider
is that those on the Mediterranean diet,
(peas, more vegetable than grains,
fish rather than meat),
were less likely to get afib,
and more likely to recover from an attack.
. a researcher pointed out that it appears
the Mediterranean diet is lower in iron
because most people get their iron from meat.
[NMCD 2013]
. the Mediterranean diet can reduce
age-related inflammation levels
because of its abundant polyphenols
found in olive oil, fruit, and spices.
[Dr.Sears 2014 "The Mediterranean Zone"]
. also the Mediterranean diet has a
better ratio of omega-3 vs omega-6 oils,
that the Lyon heart study showed
decreased the rate of sudden death;
apparently by decreasing the risk of
ventricular arrythmias or other
electrical issues with the heart.
[Circulation. 1999, Alexander Leaf, MD]
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