Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is a universal health problem and a risk factor for the development of cancer. IDA changes the microenvironment of the human body by affecting both the biological and immunological systems. It increases DNA damage and genomic instability by different mechanisms. IDA is one of the leading causes of the imbalance between different antioxidant enzymes as well as enzymes involved in DNA damage and DNA repair systems of the body. It can affect the biogenesis/expression of microRNAs. IDA interrupts the oxidative phosphorylation energy metabolism and intestinal Cytochrome-P450 systems. It also disturbs multicellular signaling pathways involved in cell survival and helps in tumor angiogenesis. Moreover, IDA is also responsible for the functional deterioration of innate and adaptive immune systems that lead to immunological dysfunctions against invading pathogens. Genomic instability and immunological dysfunctions are the hallmarks of cancer development. In this review, we will review the evidence linking IDA to increased cancer risk.
Patients with comorbidities including Hypertension (HTN), Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and those who are immunocompromised are prone to more severe complications of COVID-19 and a higher rate of hospitalizations. In the United States, around 94% of COVID-19 deaths had an average of 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death. In a summary report published by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of 72,314 cases, case-fatality rate was elevated among those with preexisting comorbid conditions—10.5% for cardiovascular disease, 7.3% for diabetes, 6.3% for chronic respiratory disease, 6.0% for HTN, and 5.6% for cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten people and healthcare systems globally and therefore the global economy. Currently, there is no cure or vaccine for COVID-19 and there is an urgent need to develop target therapies as we continue to learn more about this novel virus. Without therapeutic interventions, much of how we contain the viral spread is prevention through mitigation strategies (social distancing, face masks, supportive care). Early suspicion of COVID-19 symptoms with radiological and laboratory assessments may play a major role in preventing severity of the COVID-19. With this literature review we aim to provide review of pathophysiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its clinical effects on multiple organ systems.
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