Which of the following is found in the first stage of iron deficiency?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this question, I will evaluate what happens first in iron deficiency and then assess each option.
Option a: Iron stores decline as assessed by serum ferritin. In the earliest stage of iron deficiency, the body's iron stores are depleted, which is reflected by a drop in serum ferritin levels. This makes ferritin a sensitive early marker of iron depletion. This statement aligns with the canonical sequence of iron deficiency: stores are used up before any functional or hematologic changes occur.
Option b: Hemoglobin levels fall, as assessed by complete blood count. A decrease in hemoglobin is a later event in iron deficiency. It represents the functional consequence of insufficient iron for erythropoiesis and typically occurs after stores are depleted and ferritin levels fall. Therefore, this is ليس the first stage.
Option c: Red blood count falls, as assessed by haematocrit count. Haematocrit and RBC count changes follow the decline in hemoglobin and iron availability. They are not the initial change and often lag behind ferritin depletion, so they do not describe the first stage.
Option d: Increase in blood levels of transferrin, an iron carrying protein. Transferrin levels can rise as the body ramps up iron transport in response to iron deficiency, but this is part of a later compensatory response accompanying or following the depletion of stores. It is not the very first change that signals the onset of iron deficiency.
In summary, the earliest, defining change in iron deficiency is the loss of iron stores reflected by falling serum ferritin, while the other options describe subsequent or compensatory events that occur after stores are depleted.

Which of the following is found in the first stage of iron deficiency?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Question at position 11 Learning Objective 5 A vegan lifestyle could increase a person's risk for anemia.TrueFalse

Which is NOT a common symptom of iron deficiency?

Which is NOT a common symptom of iron deficiency?

Which of the following is false?

A child who drinks a lot of milk at the expense of other foods is at high risk of showing signs of

A 6-year-old girl, is a fussy eater. She avoids eating dark green vegetables and meat. She prefers to only have junk food. She feels weak, becomes tired easily, and shows signs of chronic fatigue. It can be said that the child is showing symptoms of

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler