Mistakes in the management of iron deficiency anaemia: a narrative review.

INTRODUCTION: Anaemia occurs due to an imbalance between erythrocyte production and loss. This imbalance can be due to ineffective erythropoiesis, blood loss or haemolysis. Whilst there are many causes for anaemia, iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) remains the predominant cause worldwide. AREAS COVERED: There have been many updated guidelines on the management of IDA in the past few years. As the reasons for IDA are many, evaluation requires thorough analysis and focused investigations. As an asymptomatic disease in the early stages, IDA can lead to many mistakes in its management. This review highlights potential mistakes in assessing and managing IDA and recommendations to avoid them. CONCLUSION: The effective management of IDA necessitates a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. By recognising and addressing the common mistakes highlighted in this narrative review, healthcare professionals can improve patient outcomes, minimise complications, and enhance the overall quality of care.

Current approach to the management of preoperative iron deficiency anemia in colorectal cancer patients: a review of literature.

<b>Introduction:</b> The prevalence of preoperative anemia is the highest in the group of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and may reach over 75%. The prevalence of anemia in CRC patients increases even further following surgery. Approximately 75-80% of anemic CRC patients present with absolute or functional iron deficiency (ID). Preoperative anemia constitutes an independent risk factor for allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT), postoperative complications, prolonged length of hospital stay, and increased mortality. ABT is itself associated with increased morbidity and mortality.<b>Aim:</b> The aim of this review article was to present the pathophysiology and the current approach to the diagnostics and treatment of preoperative iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in CRC patients.<b>Material and methods:</b> Extensive search of medical literature databases was performed (Pubmed, Embase). The key words that were used were as follows: CRC, colorectal surgery, ID, IDA, intravenous iron, Patient Blood Management (PBM).<b>Results:</b> There are several laboratory parameters that can be used for IDA diagnosis, however, the simplest and most cost- -effective is reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (RET-He). Pathophysiologic features of IDA in CRC patients favor treatment with intravenous, as opposed to oral, iron formulations. Applying PBM strategies minimizes the exposure to ABT.<b>Conclusions:</b> Preoperative IDA is highly prevalent among CRC patients. Preoperative anemia is an independent risk factor for ABT, increased morbidity and mortality, as well as prolonged hospital length of stay. The same negative consequences are associated with ABT. Therefore, preoperative IDA in CRC patients needs to be screened for, diagnosed, and treated before surgery. Effective treatment of preoperative IDA in CRC patients is with intravenous iron formulations. ABT should be the treatment of last resort due to the risk of negative clinical consequences, including an increased rate of cancer recurrence.

Standardizing the evaluation and management of iron deficiency anemia secondary to heavy menstrual bleeding in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive guidelines for the management of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adolescents with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) presenting to the emergency department (ED) are lacking, leading to variability in care. We aimed to standardize the evaluation and management of these patients through the development and implementation of an evidence-based algorithm using quality improvement methodology. METHODS: Baseline data of the target population identified variability across four key measures of clinical management: therapy choice and administration, laboratory evaluation, hematology service consultation, and patient disposition. Literature review and consensus from pediatric hematology and gynecology providers informed a draft algorithm that was refined in an iterative multidisciplinary process. From December 2022 to July 2023, we aimed to achieve a 25% relative increase in patients to receive optimal management per the algorithm, while using sequential Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Process measures focusing on provider documentation and balancing measures, such as ED length of stay, were assessed concurrently. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were evaluated during four PDSA cycles. Improvement of ≥40% above baseline regarding recommended therapy administration was achieved across four PDSA cycles. Adherence to recommended therapy choice improved from 57% (baseline) to 100%, minimal laboratory evaluation from 14% to 83%, hematology consultation from 36% to 100%, and appropriate disposition from 71% to 100%. ED length of stay remained stable. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a standardized algorithm for management of IDA secondary to HMB in adolescents in the ED increased adherence to evidence-based patient care.

[Diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia].

The causes of iron deficiency anemia include blood loss, increased demand, insufficient dietary intake, and disorders affecting iron absorption. In certain circumstances, atrophic gastritis, either autoimmune or due to Helicobacter pylori infection, may contribute. On very rare occasions, iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia can develop as a consequence of TMPRSS6 mutations. Iron deficiency anemia is diagnosed by identification of microcytic hypochromic anemia with low serum ferritin levels. In cases of chronic disorders such as chronic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, and chronic inflammatory disorders, the diagnosis may also incorporate transferrin saturation. Treatment of underlying diseases is recommended along with iron supplementation. While oral iron supplements are the first choice, intravenous iron may be considered when oral administration is impractical, iron absorption is impaired, or rapid iron replenishment is necessary. Recently, high-dose intravenous iron formulations became available in Japan, but their use requires caution due to potential risks of allergic reactions, hypophosphatemia/osteomalacia, iron overload, and vascular leakage. Notably, the benefits of high-dose intravenous iron for patients with heart failure and iron deficiency are recognized in the field of cardiology. This article provides an overview, incorporating recent developments in the field of iron deficiency anemia.

Combined intervention strategy for reversing iron-deficiency anaemia and deficiency in psychomotor development in chronic malnutrition.

Introduction: Background: chronic iron-deficiency anaemia in children has a negative impact on neuronal and cognitive development. Despite current knowledge on this subject, in Bolivia iron intake along the psychomotor development stimulation as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation process for children with severe chronic malnutrition is not yet used. Objective: to evaluate the effect of a neurorestorative diet, consisting of iron supplements and other micronutrients, along with psychomotor stimulation in preschool children with chronic malnutrition, iron-deficiency anaemia and severe psychomotor delay. Patients and methods: twenty-four children between 1 and 56 months of age admitted to the integral nutritional recovery centre (INRC), Paediatric Hospital of Cochabamba, Bolivia were included. A strategy of intervention was applied consisting of nutritional replenishment through the administration of elaborated meals prepared from local foods with high heme and non-heme iron concentration, added with vegetables plus the administration of micronutrient´s supplementation and the psychomotor stimulation. Anthropometric indices, psychomotor and biochemical parameters were measured at four times points, during the hospitalisation period. Results: at the beginning, the anthropometric and psychomotor parameters were decreased (between -2 and -3 z score and below 50 % respectively). Combined strategy intervention with iron and other micronutrients together photons produced significant changes between the evaluated time points, both in anthropometric and psychomotor parameters, although these changes were less than expected. Conclusions: the combined strategy used in this study allowed recovery from the anaemia and minimal growth due to the low birth weight or chronic malnutrition. However, the intervention was insufficient to achieve a complete recovery.

Introducción: Antecedentes: la anemia ferropénica crónica en niños tiene un gran impacto negativo en el desarrollo neuronal y cognitivo. A pesar del conocimiento actual sobre el tema, en Bolivia aún no se utiliza la ingesta de hierro más estimulación del desarrollo psicomotor como parte de un proceso de rehabilitación integral de niños con desnutrición crónica severa. Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de una dieta neuro reparadora, consistente en suplementos de hierro y otros micronutrientes, junto con estimulación psicomotora en niños preescolares con desnutrición crónica, anemia por deficiencia de hierro y retraso psicomotor severo. Pacientes y métodos: se incluyeron veinticuatro niños entre 1 y 56 meses de edad ingresados en el centro de recuperación nutricional integral (CRIN), Hospital Pediátrico de Cochabamba, Bolivia. Se aplicó una estrategia de intervención consistente en la reposición nutricional mediante la administración de comidas elaboradas a partir de alimentos locales con alta concentración de hierro hemo y no hemo, adicionados con vegetales más la administración de suplementación con micronutrientes y la estimulación psicomotora. Se midieron índices antropométricos, parámetros psicomotores y bioquímicos en cuatro momentos del tiempo de hospitalización. Resultados: al principio, los parámetros antropométricos y psicomotores estaban disminuidos (entre -2 y-3 puntuación z; y menor a 50 % respectivamente). La estrategia combinada de intervención con hierro y otros micronutrientes junto con fotones produjo cambios significativos entre los momentos evaluados, tanto en los parámetros antropométricos como psicomotores, aunque estos cambios fueron menores a lo esperado. Conclusiones: la estrategia combinada utilizada en este estudio permitió la recuperación de la anemia y un crecimiento mínimo debido al bajo peso al nacer o la desnutrición crónica. Sin embargo, la intervención fue insuficiente para lograr una recuperación completa.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Management of Iron Deficiency Anemia: Expert Review.

DESCRIPTION: In this Clinical Practice Update (CPU), we will Best Practice Advice (BPA) guidance on the appropriate management of iron deficiency anemia. METHODS: This expert review was commissioned and approved by the AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee (CPUC) and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership, and underwent internal peer review by the CPUC and external peer review through standard procedures of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. These Best Practice Advice (BPA) statements were drawn from a review of the published literature and from expert opinion. Since systematic reviews were not performed, these BPA statements do not carry formal ratings regarding the quality of evidence or strength of the presented considerations. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 1: No single formulation of oral iron has any advantages over any other. Ferrous sulfate is preferred as the least expensive iron formulation. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 2: Give oral iron once a day at most. Every-other-day iron dosing may be better tolerated for some patients with similar or equal rates of iron absorption as daily dosing. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 3: Add vitamin C to oral iron supplementation to improve absorption. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 4: Intravenous iron should be used if the patient does not tolerate oral iron, ferritin levels do not improve with a trial of oral iron, or the patient has a condition in which oral iron is not likely to be absorbed. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 5: Intravenous iron formulations that can replace iron deficits with 1 or 2 infusions are preferred over those that require more than 2 infusions. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 6: All intravenous iron formulations have similar risks; true anaphylaxis is very rare. The vast majority of reactions to intravenous iron are complement activation-related pseudo-allergy (infusion reactions) and should be treated as such. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 7: Intravenous iron therapy should be used in individuals who have undergone bariatric procedures, particularly those that are likely to disrupt normal duodenal iron absorption, and have iron-deficiency anemia with no identifiable source of chronic gastrointestinal blood loss. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 8: In individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and iron-deficiency anemia, clinicians first should determine whether iron-deficiency anemia is owing to inadequate intake or absorption, or loss of iron, typically from gastrointestinal bleeding. Active inflammation should be treated effectively to enhance iron absorption or reduce iron depletion. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 9: Intravenous iron therapy should be given in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease, iron-deficiency anemia, and active inflammation with compromised absorption. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 10: In individuals with portal hypertensive gastropathy and iron-deficiency anemia, oral iron supplements initially should be used to replenish iron stores. Intravenous iron therapy should be used in patients with ongoing bleeding who do not respond to oral iron therapy. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 11: In individuals with portal hypertensive gastropathy and iron-deficiency anemia without another identified source of chronic blood loss, treatment of portal hypertension with nonselective ß-blockers can be considered. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 12: In individuals with iron-deficiency anemia secondary to gastric antral vascular ectasia who have an inadequate response to iron replacement, consider endoscopic therapy with endoscopic band ligation or thermal methods such as argon plasma coagulation. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 13: In patients with iron-deficiency anemia and celiac disease, ensure adherence to a gluten-free diet to improve iron absorption. Consider oral iron supplementation based on the severity of iron deficiency and patient tolerance, followed by intravenous iron therapy if iron stores do not improve. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 14: Deep enteroscopy performed in patients with iron-deficiency anemia suspected to have small-bowel bleeding angioectasias should be performed with a distal attachment to improve detection and facilitate treatment. Small-bowel angioectasias may be treated with ablative thermal therapies such as argon plasma coagulation or with mechanical methods such as hemostatic clips. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 15: Endoscopic treatment of angioectasias should be accompanied with iron replacement. Medical therapy for small-bowel angioectasias should be reserved for compassionate treatment in refractory cases when iron replacement and endoscopic therapy are ineffective.

[Guidelines for uniform management of breath-holding spells]. / Nya handläggningsrutiner för affektanfall hos barn föreslås.

Witnessing breath-holding spells (BHS) can be distressing and patients with BHS disproportionately consume a substantial amount of health care resources. Common among preschool children, BHS follow a distinct sequence of events. A comprehensive patient history is the primary diagnostic tool. BHS lacked standardized diagnostic criteria and guidelines until our recent Acta Paediatrica publication. Studying 519 BHS cases in Skåne (years 2004-2018), we found overuse of electrocardiograms (ECGs) and electroencephalograms (EEGs), and underuse of blood tests for treatable iron deficiency and anemia, both known BHS contributors. Building upon our cohort analysis, we refined the definition of BHS and introduced a clinical management algorithm. Simulations showed reduced EEG and ECG use and an increase in blood tests. Our guideline not only streamlines diagnostic processes, but also optimizes the allocation of healthcare resources for more effective and targeted interventions.

Data integrity of 14 randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: A review of the literature on iron treatments for iron-deficient anaemia in pregnancy indicated duplication of baseline and outcome tables in two separate randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that share only a single author. AIM: To assess the integrity of randomised clinical trials from Dr A.M. Darwish, Assiut University, Egypt. DESIGN: Assessment of Research Integrity. METHODS: We tabulated the characteristics of studies, compared baseline and outcome tables between articles and looked for implausible findings. We used the distribution of baseline p-values to assess whether the summary statistics of baseline characteristics were consistent with properly conducted randomisation. RESULTS: We identified 14 RCTs (1,405 participants) published between October 2004 and September 2019. Two pairs of studies showed considerable similarities in baseline characteristics, while another pair of studies was plagiarized. The analysis of baseline p-values indicated a low probability that all the studies featured randomised treatment allocation. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of the RCTs of Dr Darwish suggests possible integrity problems. We recommend a critical investigation of the studies that have not been retracted. Until that has been completed, these studies should not be used to inform clinical practice.

Serum ferritin and risk of colonic neoplasia: Implications for the workup and treatment of iron deficiency.

Iron deficiency is the most common extraintestinal sign of colonic neoplasia, including colorectal cancer (CRC) and other lower gastrointestinal pathology. Both upper endoscopy and colonoscopy is usually recommended in the work-up of patients with unexplained iron deficiency, particularly in men and postmenopausal women. As the incidence of early-onset CRC (age <50 years) rises in the United States, there is an increasing need to identify risk predictors to aid in the early detection of CRC. It remains unknown if serum ferritin (SF), and what specific threshold, can be used as a marker to stratify those at risk for CRC and other lower gastrointestinal pathology. In this current review of the literature, we aimed to review guidelines for diagnostic workup of colonic neoplasia in the setting of iron deficiency and examine the association and specific thresholds of SF and risk of CRC by age. Some of the published findings are conflicting, and conclusions specific to younger patients are limited. Though further investigation is warranted, the cumulative findings suggest that SF, in addition to considering the clinical context and screening guidelines, may have potential utility in the assessment of colonic neoplasia.

[Iron supplementation in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease: recommendations for a practical approach]. / Eisensupplementation bei Patienten mit chronisch-entzündlicher Darmerkrankung: Empfehlungen zur praxisnahen Vorgehensweise.

Iron deficiency is the predominant cause of anemia. Iron deficiency anemia plays a major role, especially in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and is the most common extraintestinal manifestation and IBD-associated systemic complication. The presence of anemia leads to a reduction in quality of life in patients with IBD associated with limitations in physical, emotional, and cognitive function. In addition, it is associated with an increased hospitalization rate. For this reason, iron supplementation is of particular importance. Oral and intravenous iron supplements are used to treat iron deficiency. Due to the lack of absorption and gastrointestinal side effects of oral substitution, intravenous supplementation is becoming increasingly important. However, there are still certain concerns about intravenous administration.With the help of this review, we want to address the topic of iron substitution in patients with IBD, summarize current guideline recommendations, and provide a practical approach.

The findings of a service evaluation on the practice of assessment and treatment of iron deficiency in people admitted to a UK hospital with decompensated Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Iron Deficiency (ID) is common in Heart Failure (HF) and associated with poor outcomes. Replacement with intravenous (IV) iron can improve functional status, quality of life and risk of unplanned admission. In 2015/16 a local service evaluation was performed which found that of people admitted with HF, only 27.5 % had assessment of iron status, and when identified, replacement occurred in fewer than half. Education strategies were employed to increase awareness of the importance of assessment and correction. OBJECTIVES: To assess if practice had improved following education strategies. METHODS: A review of 220 patient records for people admitted with HF in 2020/21 to establish if iron status assessed, presence of ID, and whether if ID identified it was treated, and by which route. Trends in 2020/21 data were explored in sub-groups by age, sex, type of HF, anaemia status, input from HF specialists and type of ID. RESULTS: Compared to 2015/16, more assessments of iron status were performed (45% vs 27.5 %), ID was corrected more frequently (57% vs 46 %) and increased use of the IV route for replacement (83% vs 58 %) CONCLUSIONS: Despite the impact of COVID-19 on usual care in 2020/21, improvement was seen in proportion of assessment and treatment of ID following simple education strategies for key stakeholders. There may be scope to improve practice further if the findings remain similar post pandemic. If so, a formal Quality Improvement approach may be helpful.

Identification and management of preoperative anaemia in adults: A British Society for Haematology Guideline update.

This updated British Society for Haematology guideline provides an up-to-date literature review and recommendations regarding the identification and management of preoperative anaemia. This includes guidance on thresholds for the diagnosis of anaemia and the diagnosis and management of iron deficiency in the preoperative context. Guidance on the appropriate use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and preoperative transfusion is also provided.

[PATIENT BLOOD MANAGEMENT - IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE THIS POLICY].

INTRODUCTION: Anemia is common and is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality, especially in pre- (30-40% of patients undergoing major surgery) or post-operative anemia (up to 80-90%). Using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, in 2010 one quarter of the global population was anemic (1.9 billion people) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA( was and still remains the most common type of anemia worldwide, accounting for more than half of the total anemia burden. In a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016, IDA was the fourth leading cause of years lived with disability, particularly in women, thus highlighting prevention and treatment of IDA as a major public health goal. Red blood cells (RBC) transfusion is a common therapeutic intervention with considerable variation in clinical practice. More than 85 million units packed RBC (PRBC) are transfused annually worldwide. The principal indication for blood transfusion (BT) is anemia, yet a significant percentage of RBC transfusions are inappropriately overused. For many physicians and clinicians, across many different specialties, BT is still considered to be the first-line treatment when facing anemia. The Joint Commission along with the American Medical Association has included BT in a list of the five most overused therapeutic procedures in the United States. Restrictive blood transfusion (RBT) is an evidence-based policy, at least as effective, if not superior to the liberal policy of BT. Patient blood management (PBM) is a patient-centered systematic, evidence-based approach, supported by RBT. In this article we analyze the factors which influence the implementation of PBM.

Guidance for the gastrointestinal evaluation and management of iron deficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Over 30% of the world's population is anaemic, with a significant proportion of these being iron deficient. As iron deficiency (ID) anaemia in men and post-menopausal women is mostly caused by gastrointestinal blood loss or malabsorption, the initial evaluation of a patient with ID anaemia involves referral to a gastroenterologist. The current drive towards patient blood management in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)prescribes that we regulate not only the use of blood transfusion but also the management of patients in whom the cause of iron loss or inadequate iron absorption is sought. Recommendations have been developed to: (i) aid clinicians in the evaluation of suspected gastrointestinal iron loss and iron malabsorption, and often a combination of these; (ii) improve clinical outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal causes of ID; (iii) provide current, evidence-based, context-specific recommendations for use in the management of ID; and (iv) conserve resources by ensuring rational utilisation of blood and blood products. METHOD: Development of the guidance document was facilitated by the Gastroenterology Foundation of Sub-Saharan Africa and the South African Gastroenterology Society. The consensus recommendations are based on a rigorous process involving 21 experts in gastroenterology and haematology in SSA. Following discussion of the scope and purpose of the guidance document among the experts, an initial review of the literature and existing guidelines was undertaken. Thereafter, draft recommendation statements were produced to fulfil the outlined purpose of the guidance document. These were reviewed in a round-table discussion and were subjected to two rounds of anonymised consensus voting by the full committee in an electronic Delphi exercise during 2022 using the online platform, Research Electronic Data Capture. Recommendations were modified by considering feedback from the previous round, and those reaching a consensus of over 80% were incorporated into the final document. Finally, 44 statements in the document were read and approved by all members of the working group. CONCLUSION: The recommendations incorporate six areas, namely: general recommendations and practice, Helicobacter pylori, coeliac disease, suspected small bowel bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, and preoperative care. Implementation of the recommendations is aimed at various levels from individual practitioners to healthcare institutions, departments and regional, district, provincial and national platforms. It is intended that the recommendations spur the development of centre-specific guidelines and that they are integrated with the relevant patient blood management protocols. Integration of the recommendations is intended to promote optimal evaluation and management of patients with ID, regardless of the presence of anaemia.

Should echocardiogram be undertaken routinely when a child has severe iron deficiency anaemia?

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is common in children. Treatment usually consists of oral iron therapy and, if severe, inpatient hospitalisation with blood transfusion. Providers may also undertake an echocardiogram, depending on availability and the severity of anaemia. A male toddler with nutritional IDA, haemoglobin of 1.7 g/dL (the lowest level in the literature) and hypertension had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on the initial echocardiogram. He was managed acutely with judicious blood transfusion, followed by oral iron supplementation and anti-hypertensive medication at discharge. Repeat echocardiogram a month later demonstrated slight improvement of the LVH but the hypertension persisted at follow-up 6 months later. There was complete resolution of the findings a year later. In chronic nutritional IDA, there can be structural cardiac changes which can affect the acute management and requires close follow-up. It is important to use echocardiography in such severe cases.Abbreviations: CHF: congestive heart failure; CM: cardiomyopathy; DCM: dilated cardiomyopathy; ICU: intensive care unit; IDA: iron deficiency anaemia; IVSd: interventricular septum in diastole; LA: left atrium; LV: left ventricle; LVEDD: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter; LVH: left ventricular hypertrophy; LVM: left ventricular mass; LVPWd: left ventricular posterior wall end-diastole; PRBC: packed red blood cells.

Current concepts in postpartum anemia management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Postpartum anemia (PPA) is common in women after childbirth and affects about 50-80% of all women worldwide. Iron deficiency (ID) is the main cause for anemia and constitutes a potentially preventable condition with great impact on the mother's physical and mental condition after delivery. In most cases, PPA is associated with antenatal ID and peripartum blood losses. Numerous published studies confirmed the positive effect of PPA diagnosis and treatment. RECENT FINDINGS: Iron deficiency as well as iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are common in the postpartum period and represent significant health problems in women of reproductive age. SUMMARY: Important movements towards early detection and therapy of postpartum anemia have been observed. However, postpartum anemia management is not implemented on a large scale as many healthcare professionals are not aware of the most recent findings in the field. Diagnosis and therapy of PPA, particularly iron supplementation in ID and IDA, has proven to be highly effective with a tremendous effect on women's wellbeing and outcome.

Oral iron therapy: Current concepts and future prospects for improving efficacy and outcomes.

Iron deficiency (ID) and iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) are global public health concerns, most commonly afflicting children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age. Pathological outcomes of ID include delayed cognitive development in children, adverse pregnancy outcomes and decreased work capacity in adults. IDA is usually treated by oral iron supplementation, typically using iron salts (e.g. FeSO4 ); however, dosing at several-fold above the RDA may be required due to less efficient absorption. Excess enteral iron causes adverse gastrointestinal side effects, thus reducing compliance, and negatively impacts the gut microbiome. Recent research has sought to identify new iron formulations with better absorption so that lower effective dosing can be utilized. This article outlines emerging research on oral iron supplementation and focuses on molecular mechanisms by which different supplemental forms of iron are transported across the intestinal epithelium and whether these transport pathways are subject to regulation by the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin.

Iron status in Swiss adolescents with paediatric major depressive disorder and healthy controls: a matched case-control study.

PURPOSE: Depression is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation and impaired intestinal function, both of which may reduce dietary iron absorption. Low iron status has been associated with depression in adults and adolescents. In Swiss adolescents, we determined the associations between paediatric major depressive disorder (pMDD), inflammation, intestinal permeability and iron status. METHODS: This is a matched case-control study in 95 adolescents with diagnosed pMDD and 95 healthy controls aged 13-17 years. We assessed depression severity using the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised. We measured iron status (serum ferritin (SF) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)), inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein (AGP)), and intestinal permeability (intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP)). We assessed history of ID diagnosis and treatment with a self-reported questionnaire. RESULTS: SF concentrations did not differ between adolescents with pMDD (median (IQR) SF: 31.2 (20.2, 57.0) µg/L) and controls (32.5 (22.6, 48.3) µg/L, p = 0.4). sTfR was lower among cases than controls (4.50 (4.00, 5.50) mg/L vs 5.20 (4.75, 6.10) mg/L, p < 0.001). CRP, AGP and I-FABP were higher among cases than controls (CRP: 0.16 (0.03, 0.43) mg/L vs 0.04 (0.02, 0.30) mg/L, p = 0.003; AGP: 0.57 (0.44, 0.70) g/L vs 0.52 (0.41, 0.67) g/L, p = 0.024); I-FABP: 307 (17, 515) pg/mL vs 232 (163, 357) pg/mL, p = 0.047). Of cases, 44% reported having a history of ID diagnosis compared to 26% among controls (p = 0.020). Finally, 28% of cases had iron treatment at/close to study inclusion compared to 14% among controls. CONCLUSION: Cases had significantly higher systemic inflammation and intestinal permeability than controls but did not have lower iron status. Whether this is related to the higher rate of ID diagnosis and iron treatment in adolescents with depression is uncertain.