Gill D, et al. - Through a genome-wide association study, a Mendelian randomization study on 48,972 European individuals across 19 cohorts, researchers investigated the broad clinical effects of changing iron status. Randomly allocated genetic variants associated with iron status were used to examine its effects on a broad range of medical outcomes. Lower risk of anemia and hypercholesterolemia and a higher risk of skin and skin structure infections were correlated to genetic variants which were linked to higher iron status. There was a potential shielding effect of greater iron status on hypercholesterolemia and a deleterious role on the risk of skin and skin structure infections seen in this study, all previously unreported results of iron status. These findings should prompt further investigation, given the modifiable and unsteady nature of iron status.