June 21 2019 A global study looking at the role that iron plays in 900 diseases has uncovered the impact of both low and high iron levels – and the news is mixed. People with high iron levels are not only protected against anaemia but are also less likely to have high cholesterol, according to an international study led by Imperial College London , the University of South Australia (UniSA) and University of Ioannina . In a paper published today in PLOS Medicine , researchers used genetic and clinical data from approximately 500,000 people in the UK Biobank , looking at the role of iron status and its impact on health. Iron deficiency is well documented, with approximately 1.2 billion people worldwide living with anaemia, leading to serious health problems if left untreated. What is less known is the impact of excess iron where the body stores too much […]