Iron Status and Hypoxic Pulmonary Vascular Responses

Exclusion Criteria

• •Haemoglobin \<8.0g/dl
• •Haemoglobinopathy
• •Iron overload defined as ferritin \>300microg/L
• •Hypoxia at rest or on walking (SaO2 \<94%) or significant comorbidity that may affect haematinics, pulmonary vascular or ventilatory responses, e.g. current infection, a chronic inflammatory condition, known cardiovalvular lesion or pulmonary hypertension, uncontrolled asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• •Exposure to high altitude (\>2,500m) within the previous six weeks or air travel \>4 hours within the previous week
• •Iron supplementation or blood transfusion within the previous 6 weeks
• •Pregnancy or breast feeding