Platelet aggregation in iron deficiency anemia

In-vitro platelet aggregation with ADP, adrenaline and collagen was studied in pediatric patients with iron deficiency before and after iron therapy, and in normal controls. Hyporeactivity of platelets to all agonists was seen in the untreated patients. This returned to normal following correction of anemia by iron therapy. There was a significant correlation between hemoglobin or serum iron and transferrin saturation on the one hand, and parameters of platelet aggregation on the other (P<0.001). Results of zero order correlation coefficient however, showed that platelet reactivity was actually dependent on the hemoglobin levels rather than the iron parameters per se. This may explain the prolonged bleeding time in patients with iron deficiency, particularly those associated with thrombocytopenia. Anemic individuals may be protected against thrombotic disorders due to this reduced platelet reactivity.