Sideropenična anemija predstavlja globalni izazov od kojeg pati 24.8% svjetske populacije, odnosno 1.62 milijarde ljudi. Posljedica je poremećene homeostaze željeza zbog patološkog skladištenja, unosa i/ili gubitka željeza u tijelu, što dovodi do poremećaja u funkcioniranju eritropoeze. Iako je sideropenična anemija odavno poznata, idalje postoje nepoznate patofiziološke komponente i prostor za poboljšanje u načinima liječenja i dijagnostici sideropenične anemije. U ovom radu se iznose najnovija saznanja o patofiziologiji metabolizma željeza i utjecaju na ljudski organizam koji se izražava kroz prepoznatljive simptome svih organa i tkiva poput: „restless legs“ sindroma, kognitivnih oštećenja, sklonosti depresiji i anksioznosti, „pica“ sindroma, pagofagije, simptoma erektilne disfunkcije, dilatativne kardiomiopatije i niza drugih. Pravovremenim prepoznavanjem i liječenjem sideropenične anemije, dokazano smanjujemo opseg simptoma, troškove dijagnostike i liječenja, smanjujemo rizike od loših ishoda kod pacijenata s multiplim komorbiditetima te značajno poboljšavamo kvalitetu života i funkcionalne sposobnosti bolesnika sa sideropeničnom anemijom.
Sideropenic anemia is a global challenge that affects 24.8% of the world's population, i.e.1.62 billion people. It is the result of disturbed iron homeostasis due to pathological storage, intake and/or loss of iron in the body, which leads to disturbances in the functioning of erythropoiesis. Although sideropenic anemia has been known for a long time, there are still unknown pathophysiological components and room for improvement in methods of treatment and diagnosis of sideropenic anemia. This paper presents the latest findings on the pathophysiology of iron metabolism and its impact on the human body, which is expressed through recognizable symptoms of all organs and tissues such as: restless legs syndrome, cognitive impairment, tendency to depression and anxiety, pica syndrome, pagophagia, symptoms of erectile dysfunction, dilated cardiomyopathy and a number of others. By timely recognition and treatment of sideropenic anemia, we are proven to reduce the extent of symptoms, diagnostic and treatment costs, reduce the risks of poor outcomes in patients with multiple comorbidities and significantly improve the quality of life and functional abilities of patients with sideropenic anemia.