Quantitative relations between baseline iron status , study duration , and iron dose on changes in iron-status biomarkers , which were generated from the meta-analyses , can be used to predict effects of trials of iron supplementation and fortification and to design iron-intervention programs
BACKGROUND The response of status biomarkers to an increase in iron supply depends on several physiologic and environmental factors , which make it difficult to predict the outcome of an intervention .
OBJECTIVE We assessed effects of baseline iron status , sex , menopausal status , duration of intervention , iron form , and daily dose on the change in iron status in response to iron supplementation .
Efficacy of oral iron in patients with restless legs syndrome and a low-normal ferritin: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Restless Legs Syndrome ( RLS ) is a primary disorder of sensation that affects sleep and has been associated with iron deficiency . The purpose of this study was to determine if symptomatic RLS patients with low-normal serum ferritin levels benefit from oral iron replacement . PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a r and omized , placebo-controlled , double-blinded study . Eligible patients were r and omized to oral iron therapy vs. appearance-matched placebo and followed over a 12 week period . RESULTS Baseline International Restless Leg Scale ( IRLS ) scores for the treatment ( 24.8+/-5.72 ) and placebo ( 23.0+/-5.03 ) groups were similar . Baseline ferritin levels for the treatment ( 40.6+/-15.3ng/ml ) and placebo ( 36.7+/-20.8ng/ml ) groups were also similar . After 12 weeks , IRLS scores decreased more in the treatment arm ( 10.3+/-7.40 ) than in the placebo arm ( 1.14+/-5.64 ) , ( p=0.01 ) . Ferritin levels increased more in the treatment arm ( 25.1+/-20.3ng/ml ) than in the placebo arm ( 7.5+/-13.7ng/ml ) , ( p=0.04 ) . We observed a nonsignificant trend toward improved quality of life in the treated patients , ( p=0.07 ) . CONCLUSIONS This is the first double-blinded , placebo-controlled study to demonstrate statistically significant improvement in RLS symptoms using oral iron therapy in patients with low-normal ferritin . The findings from this study suggest that additional larger r and omized placebo-controlled trials of iron as treatment for patients with low-normal ferritin are warranted
Quantitative relations between baseline iron status , study duration , and iron dose on changes in iron-status biomarkers , which were generated from the meta-analyses , can be used to predict effects of trials of iron supplementation and fortification and to design iron-intervention programs
BACKGROUND The response of status biomarkers to an increase in iron supply depends on several physiologic and environmental factors , which make it difficult to predict the outcome of an intervention .
OBJECTIVE We assessed effects of baseline iron status , sex , menopausal status , duration of intervention , iron form , and daily dose on the change in iron status in response to iron supplementation .