Anemia of Chronic Confusion
From The Clinical Etymologist by Dr. Simon Kim
March 24, 2026 · 13 min · Season 2 · Episode 6
About this episode
This episode explores the paradox of anemia in the presence of abundant iron, discussing the physiology behind it.
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we explore a common clinical paradox—anemia in the presence of abundant iron. Through a real bedside conversation, we move beyond memorized lab patterns and uncover the physiology that explains them. What does it mean when ferritin is high, yet the patient remains anemic? Why does the body hide iron during inflammation, and what role does hepcidin play in this process? Together, we follow iron’s journey—from absorption to storage—a...
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Simon Kim
Topics covered
- anemia
- iron metabolism
- inflammation
- physiology
- clinical paradox
Keywords
- anemia
- iron
- ferritin
- hepcidin
- inflammation
- physiology
- clinical paradox
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Clinical Etymologist
Products: ferritin, hepcidin
More episodes of The Clinical Etymologist
- Special Bulletin: Hanta Children's Summer Camp · May 24, 2026 · 11 min
- Sodium Conundrum · May 18, 2026 · 18 min
- Sodium Doom · April 19, 2026 · 13 min
- Reacting to CRP · April 2, 2026 · 10 min
- Professor Magneto and Iron Deficiency · March 7, 2026 · 12 min
- The Bladder Whisperer · February 22, 2026 · 12 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Clinical Etymologist podcast page.