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 .
A randomized controlled trial of oral heme iron polypeptide versus oral iron supplementation for the treatment of anaemia in peritoneal dialysis patients: HEMATOCRIT trial.
BACKGROUND Preliminary clinical evidence suggests that heme iron polypeptide ( HIP ) might represent a promising , novel oral iron supplementation strategy in chronic kidney disease . The aim of this multi-centre r and omized controlled trial was to determine the ability of HIP administration to augment iron stores in darbepoetin (DPO)-treated patients compared with conventional oral iron supplementation . METHODS Adult peritoneal dialysis ( PD ) patients treated with DPO were r and omized 1:1 to receive two capsules daily of either HIP or ferrous sulphate per os for 6 months . The primary outcome measure was transferrin saturation ( TSAT ) . Secondary outcomes comprised serum ferritin , haemoglobin , DPO dose and responsiveness , and adverse events . RESULTS Sixty-two patients were r and omized to HIP ( n = 32 ) or ferrous sulphate ( n = 30 ) . On intention-to-treat analysis , the median ( inter-quartile range ) TSAT was 22 % ( 16 - 29 ) in the HIP group compared with 20 % ( 17 - 26 ) in controls ( P = 0.65 ) . HIP treatment was not significantly associated with TSAT at 6 months on multivariable analysis ( P = 0.95 ) . Similar results were found on per- protocol analysis and subgroup analysis in iron-deficient patients . Serum ferritin levels at 6 months were significantly lower in the HIP group ( P = 0.003 ) , while the cost of HIP was 7-fold higher than that of ferrous sulphate . No other differences in secondary outcomes were observed . CONCLUSIONS HIP showed no clear safety or efficacy benefit in PD patients compared with conventional oral iron supplements . The reduction in serum ferritin levels and high costs associated with HIP therapy suggest that this agent is unlikely to have a significant role in iron supplementation in PD patients
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 .