Effects of Iron Intake on Iron Stores in Elderly Men and Women: Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Results

Iron stores in elderly men are thought to reach steady state levels where iron absorption is adjusted to a level just sufficient to cover basal iron losses. In elderly women, we speculate that not enough time has elapsed for postmenopausal women to reach steady state levels of iron stores resulting in increases in iron absorption with age. Another factor is that use of hormone replacement therapy could further delay some women in reaching steady state iron levels due to continued menstrual blood losses.