Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39564807›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics2025

High prevalence of undiagnosed iron deficiency in endometriosis patients: A cross-sectional study.

Hanna R Goldberg, Carmen McCaffrey, Jonathon Solnik, Nucelio Lemos, Mara Sobel, Sari Kives, A Kinga Malinowski, Nadine Shehata, John Matelski, Klaudia Szczech and 1 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. High prevalence of undiagnosed iron deficiency in endometriosis patients: A cross-sectional study.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Hanna R GoldbergDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7198-0868
Carmen McCaffreyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jonathon SolnikDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Nucelio LemosDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mara SobelDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sari KivesDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
A Kinga MalinowskiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Nadine ShehataDepartment of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
John MatelskiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Klaudia SzczechDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ally MurjiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4216-4172

Funding

CanSAGE Research GrantMount Sinai Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyUniversity of Toronto Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe primary objective was to evaluate the prevalence of undiagnosed iron deficiency in patients with endometriosis.

methodsWe performed a multi-center, cross-sectional study at two tertiary care hospitals. We included 251 non-pregnant women (18-50 years old) presenting with a clinical or surgical diagnosis of symptomatic endometriosis. Patients who consented to the study underwent screening bloodwork (including complete blood count, ferritin, and transferrin saturation) and completed the study survey assessing demographics, medical and surgical history, and validated questionnaires to assess iron deficiency and endometriosis symptoms.

resultsThe prevalence of iron deficiency in our endometriosis cohort was 53.4% (134/251), and the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was 13.5% (34/251). Patients with iron deficiency were more likely to have heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) compared with patients without iron deficiency (66/133, 49.6% vs. 40/115, 34.8%, p = 0.022). Nonetheless, 58% (142/251) of our study population did not endorse HMB. Despite absence of HMB, 47% (67/142) of these patients were iron-deficient. Transferrin saturation was diagnostic for iron deficiency in 63 of 176 patients (35.7%) who had a normal ferritin (≥30 ng/mL). Patients with iron deficiency had a significantly lower adjusted median Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue Subscale score compared with those without iron deficiency (26.3. vs. 29.8, p = 0.025).

conclusionThis study highlights the high prevalence of iron deficiency, which remains undiagnosed in over half of patients with endometriosis presenting to a gynecologist. Future research should focus on assessing the effectiveness of iron therapy in improving symptoms and overall well-being in this population.

Indexed as

Anemia, Iron-DeficiencyEndometriosisIron DeficienciesAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleFerritinsHumansMenorrhagiaMiddle AgedPrevalenceSurveys and QuestionnairesTransferrinYoung AdultFerritinsTransferrinanemiaendometriosisferritiniron deficiencyquality of lifetransferrin saturation

Identifiers

PMID39564807
PMCPMC11823345

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.