Intravenous iron administration in restless legs syndrome : An observational study in geriatric patients.

BACKGROUND: This observational study was carried out to investigate the effect of intravenous (i.v.) iron administration on the clinical symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in geriatric outpatients over 65 years old. METHODS: In this study geriatric outpatients (mean 4.5 ± 3.4 comorbidities and 5.7 ± 4.4 drugs taken) were recruited according to the following inclusion criteria: ≥ 65 years, diagnosis of RLS due to iron deficiency, i.e. ferritin < 50 µg/l or transferrin saturation (TFS) < 16 %) as well as no other iron therapy within 2 weeks prior to the study. Of the patients 7 (41 %) received 500 mg ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) and 10 patients (59 %) received iron gluconate (62.5 mg) based on the degree of iron deficiency. As assessed by the international RLS severity scale (IRLS) symptoms were recorded 3 times: at the beginning of iron therapy (t0), after 2 weeks (t1) and after 12 weeks (t2). RESULTS: A total of 17 patients (13 female, 4 male, mean age 73.2 ± 5.9 years) were included. The IRLS score significantly improved in all patients as shown by an average decrease from 30.2 (± 4.3) to 20.2 (± 4.7) (p < 0.001) after 2 weeks of i.v. iron treatment and to 23.2 ± 6.6 (p < 0.001) after 12 weeks. There was a high correlation between ferritin values and the IRLS score (C 0.729, p < 0.001). The part of the IRLS referring to activities of daily living (ADL) improved from a median of 3 (scores 3-4) to 2 (scores 2-3, p = 0.001) after 2 weeks (effect size - 0.6). CONCLUSION: In this study group of geriatric outpatients i.v. administration of iron was associated with a significant improvement of symptoms in RLS as assessed by the IRLS score 2 weeks after treatment. In geriatric patients with RLS associated with iron deficiency, i.v. iron administration should be considered regarding improvement of RLS symptoms and ADL.

Prevalence of anemia among elderly inpatients and its association with multidimensional loss of function.

The purpose of this cross-sectional prospective study was to determine the prevalence of anemia among elderly hospitalized patients in Germany and to investigate its association with multidimensional loss of function (MLF). One hundred participants aged 70 years or older from two distinct wards (50 each from an emergency department and a medical ward, respectively) underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) consisting of the following six tools: Barthel Index, mini-mental state examination, clock-drawing test, timed up and go test, Esslinger transfer scale, and Daniels test. MLF as an aggregated outcome was diagnosed when three or more tests of the CGA showed an abnormal result. Anemia was defined according to WHO criteria as a hemoglobin (Hb) concentration of <13 g/dL for men and <12 g/dL for women. The prevalence of anemia was 60 %. Overall, 61 % of patients presented with three or more abnormal results in the six tests of the CGA and, thus, with MLF. Using logistic regression, we found a significant association of both anemia and low Hb concentrations with abnormal outcomes in five tests of the CGA and, therefore, with domain-specific deficits like mobility limitations, impaired cognition, and dysphagia. Furthermore, being anemic increased the odds of featuring MLF more than fourfold. This significant relationship persisted after adjustment for various major comorbidities. Both anemia and geriatric conditions are common in the hospitalized elderly. Given the association of anemia with MLF, Hb level might serve as a useful geriatric screening marker to identify frail older people at risk for adverse outcomes.