Iron deficiency, elevated erythropoietin, fibroblast growth factor 23, and mortality in the general population of the Netherlands: A cohort study.
Michele F EisengaMaarten A De JongPeter Van der MeerDavid E LeafGerwin HulsIlja M NolteCarlo A J M GaillardStephan J L BakkerMartin H De BorstPublished in: PLoS medicine (2019)
In this study, we found that functional iron deficiency and higher EPO levels were each associated with an increased risk of death in the general population. Our findings suggest that FGF23 could be involved in the association between functional iron deficiency and increased EPO levels and death. Investigation of strategies aimed at correcting iron deficiency and reducing FGF23 levels is warranted.