Giving iron supplements is one solution to overcome the anemia that figure is still high in Southeast Asia. But this solution is considered less successful, partly because of the presence of inflammation or inflammation is often overlooked.
During this time, the inflammation can affect the absorption of iron and only the visible inflammation triggered by infection. Therefore, iron supplementation in malaria endemic areas is controversial because some experts judged it can actually worsen the infection.
But the latest research in the Faculty of Medicine University of Indonesia (Faculty of medicine) to prove, that mild inflammation and invisible (subclinical) can also inhibit iron absorption. These findings are considered able to answer why supplementation is often less successfully overcome anemia.
"I'm not saying it fails, but is generally less successful. One of them yes it was, it turns out there is inflammation of the invisible," said pediatrician from the Faculty of medicine, Prof. Dr. Ali Purbaya Arwin Akib, SpA (K) is a promoter in research to achieve The doctoral degree, when found in the Faculty of medicine, on Wednesday (06/07/2011).
Dr. Min Kyaw Htet, MMedSc, Myanmar nationals who conducted the study involving 1269 high school student in the area of the Irrawaddy, Myanmar with an average age of 19 years. All the participants free of hemoglobinopathy, the trigger condition such as iron deficiency anemia in addition to Thalassemia.
The high number of penerita anemia or malnutrition, especially that caused by a deficiency or iron deficiency does not only happen in Indonesia. Other developing countries in Southeast Asia region is still experiencing, one of Myanmar.
It was recognized by Dr. Min, who several years ago was also involved in research on anemia of iron in the Thousand Islands. According to the number of anemic patients in Myanmar still reach 60 percent, higher than Indonesia, if viewed percentage.
"Myanmar and Indonesia have more or less the same conditions, both from diet and lifestyle. The difference of Indonesia's population reached 200 million while in Myanmar's only about 56 million people," said Dr. Min, after it passed in the session on the promotion of doctoral faculty of medicine on Wednesday, July 6, 2011.
Dr. Min received his Ph.D. cum laude from the Faculty of medicine, after presenting his dissertation entitled 'The Role of Sub-Clinical Inflamation on hemoglobin response, Iron and Vitamin A Status of School Adolescent Girls Myanmar Anaemiac During Iron and Vitamin A supplementation'.
Dr. Min rate, iron supplementation is still needed to address iron deficiency anemia. However, based on research results, the presence of inflammation must be considered and if necessary be accompanied by vitamin A supplementation to relieve the inflammation.
