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LIFE TIME IRON THERAPY IN MALES
OP Kapoor
Ex. Hon. Physician, Jaslok Hospital and Bombay Hospital, Mumbai, Ex. Hon. Prof. of Medicine, Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital, Mumbai 400 008.
In the past, I have stressed the role of iron which can be given life time to Indian women hailing from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Orissa. In this article, I want to stress the role of life time iron therapy in 3 illnesses in males.
It is important to note that a family history or presence of haemochromatosis or thalassaemia minor should be excluded before putting these patients on life time iron therapy. This can be done by asking for Serum Iron (or preferably Ferritin) and Hb Electrophoresis.
The following are the three conditions:
1.Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasis which often produces anaemia for which there is no specific treatment.
2.Patient having a large hiatus hernia or a para-oesophageal hernia who refuses surgery, should be given life time iron in addition to postural treatment (sleep with the head end raised on 10" blocks).
3.Finally, patients of cirrhosis of the liver who have developed congestive, gastropathy with iron deficiency anaemia, but cannot afford interventional procedure of Tipps (which costs about a lac of rupees) should receive iron therapy as long as they live.
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