10/09/2025
A shout out to our colleague Dr. Michelle Sholzberg and her team for "Raising the Bar" an initiative developed to increase awareness of the high prevalence of iron deficiency, particularly in women, and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this correctable disorder.
CBC News: Many people living with an iron deficiency don’t even realize it’s the reason they’re struggling with fatigue, anxiety and a lack of concentration. Ontario is changing guidelines on recognizing iron deficiencies — and experts say the move will change lives.
A years-in-the-making adjustment to guidelines covering how iron deficiency is measured in Ontario lab results will be a game changer for patients across the province, according to doctors who worked to make it happen.
A memo sent to physicians last week from Ontario Health says starting Sept. 9 (2024), the best practice guidelines stating the baseline of what has been considered a normal amount of iron will be raised. The lower limits previously varied by lab from under 10 to under 15 micrograms of ferritin — the protein that stores iron — per litre. The limits are now 30 micrograms per litre for adults and 20 micrograms per litre for children, Sholzberg says.
According to experts, the change means people who may have previously been told their iron levels are normal despite not feeling well can now be diagnosed with iron deficiency.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/iron-deficiency-bloodwork-testing-ontario-1.7314795
https://www.hemequity.com/raise-the-bar-home
https://oaml.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Guidelines-for-the-Use-of-Laboratory-Tests-for-Iron-Deficiency-2024-FINALfor-July-distribution.pdf
