There were no statistically significant differences in adverse effects , length of hospitalisation or mortality .
Conclusion Oral iron raises haemoglobin levels in elderly people with iron deficiency anaemia by 0.35 g/dL after 4–6 weeks , but it is unclear if this results in tangible health benefits
Background Oral iron supplementation is used widely in older people despite observational studies suggesting it is ineffective .
Objective The aim of this systematic review was to determine if oral iron therapy is effective in elderly people with iron deficiency anaemia .
Intravenous iron sucrose is superior to oral iron sulphate for correcting anaemia and restoring iron stores in IBD patients: A randomized, controlled, evaluator-blind, multicentre study
Objective . Patients with inflammatory bowel disease ( IBD ) often have low iron stores or anaemia . There is controversy about whether iron should be supplemented orally or intravenously ( i.v . ) . The purpose of this study was to investigate whether treatment with intravenous iron is superior to treatment with oral iron . The primary end-points were response and remaining anaemia at the end of treatment ( EOT ) . Material and methods . Ninety-one patients with IBD and anaemia ( B-Hb < 115 g/L ) were r and omized to oral iron sulphate ( n=46 ) or intravenous iron sucrose ( n=45 ) treatment for 20 weeks . Results . Forty-three patients in the intravenous iron group completed the study compared to 35 patients in the oral iron group ( p=0.0009 ) . Only 22 patients ( 48 % ) tolerated the prescribed oral dose , and 52 % reduced the dose or withdrew from treatment because of poor tolerance . At EOT , 47 % patients in the oral iron group increased their B-Hb by ≥20 g/L , compared with 66 % in the intravenous iron group ( p=0.07 ) . In the oral iron group , 41 % still had anaemia versus 16 % of the patients in the intravenous iron group ( p=0.007 ) , and 22 % versus 42 % reached their reference B-Hb level ( p=0.04 ) . Treatment with intravenous iron sucrose improved iron stores faster and more effectively than oral iron ( p=0.002 ) . Under treatment with intravenous iron , 74 % of the patients had no anaemia and normal S-ferritin levels ( > 25 µg/L ) at EOT compared with 48 % of patients receiving oral iron ( p=0.013 ) . Conclusions . Treatment with intravenous iron sucrose is effective , safe , well tolerated and superior to oral iron in correcting haemoglobin and iron stores in patients with IBD
There were no statistically significant differences in adverse effects , length of hospitalisation or mortality .
Conclusion Oral iron raises haemoglobin levels in elderly people with iron deficiency anaemia by 0.35 g/dL after 4–6 weeks , but it is unclear if this results in tangible health benefits
Background Oral iron supplementation is used widely in older people despite observational studies suggesting it is ineffective .
Objective The aim of this systematic review was to determine if oral iron therapy is effective in elderly people with iron deficiency anaemia .