Blunted Hyperemia and Compromised Oxygen Delivery in Iron Deficiency Anemia

Motivation: The impaired oxygen-carrying capacity of blood in iron deficiency anemia (IDA) may contribute to cognitive deficits in adult women. Goal(s): To determine whether global and regional brain oxygen delivery is affected in women with IDA. Approach: We quantified cerebral blood flow (CBF), arterial transit time (ATT) and oxygen delivery (O2Del) in 23 IDA adult women and 21 matched control subjects using pseudo-continuous time-encoded arterial spin labeling (pCASL). Results: IDA exhibits slightly increased CBF and decreased ATT compared to controls. O2Del was significantly decreased globally in cortical and white matter regions. Impact: These data suggest that physiological compensation to compromised hemoglobin and erythrocyte production in IDA is insufficient to maintain cerebral oxygen delivery. Time-encoded pCASL may provide a biomarker to indicate the necessity for medical intervention.