Effectiveness of daily and weekly iron supplementation in the prevention of anemia in infants. Efficacy of daily vs. weekly supplementation of iron in schoolchildren with low iron status. Efficacy of iron supplementation on fatigue and physical capacity in non-anaemic iron-deficient adults: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials The efficacy of micronutrient supplementation in reducing the prevalence of anaemia and deficiencies of zinc and iron among adolescents in Sri Lanka [Effectiveness of oral versus parenteral iron substitution in autologous blood donors]. The effect of intravenous and oral iron administration on perioperative anaemia and transfusion requirements in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery: a randomized clinical trial. Oral versus Intravenous Iron Supplementation in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients Correction of Uremic Iron Deficiency Anemia in Hemodialyzed Patients: A Prospective Study Intermittent oral iron supplementation during pregnancy. Oral iron therapy for anaemia after orthopaedic surgery: randomized clinical trial Preliminary findings on iron supplementation and learning achievement of rural Indonesian children. A prospective, partially randomized study of pregnancy outcomes and hematologic responses to oral and intramuscular iron treatment in moderately anemic pregnant women. Intravenous iron supplementation for the treatment of anaemia in pre-dialyzed chronic renal failure patients. Comparison of oral versus intravenous iron therapy in predialysis patients of chronic renal failure receiving recombinant human erythropoietin. Iron supplementation for acute blood loss anemia after coronary artery bypass surgery: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Weekly Iron Folate Supplementation in Adolescent Girls – An Effective Nutritional Measure for the Management of Iron Deficiency Anaemia Efficacy of iron fortification compared to iron supplementation among Vietnamese schoolchildren
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of universal prophylactic targeting with iron sulfate on daily or weekly basis in the prevention of anemia in infants . METHODS R and omized clinical field trial with children between ages six and 12 months seen at primary health care units in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , between 2004 and 2005 . Three concurrent cohorts were compared : daily group ( n=150 ; 12.5 mg Fe/day ) ; weekly group ( n=147 ; 25 mg Fe/week ) and control group . The intervention consisted of universal supplementation with iron sulfate for 24 weeks , combined with educational adherence-promoting measures . OUTCOME mean serum hemoglobin concentration , distribution and prevalence of anemia ( Hb<110.0 g/l ) at age 12 months . Effectiveness was evaluated considering both intent to treat and adherence to protocol , using multiple regression analysis ( linear and Poisson ) . RESULTS Groups were homogeneous in terms of descriptive variables . The intervention was implemented successfully , with high adhesion to protocol in both groups , and no statistical difference between them . After adjustment , only the daily regimen showed a protective effect . Adherence analysis demonstrated an evident dose-response effect on mean Hb and prevalence of anemia only for the daily regimen . No protective effect was detected for the weekly regimen . CONCLUSIONS Universal supplementation with iron sulfate from six to 12 months of age was effective in increasing serum Hb and decreasing risk of anemia only when administered on a daily basis Iron deficiency anemia ( IDA ) is still a major nutritional and public health problem in developing countries . The prevalence among young children and pregnant women is particularly high . Daily oral supplementation with medicinal iron is considered an effective strategy for reducing the incidence of IDA but non-compliance is a major problem with this strategy . We undertook this study to compare the results of once-weekly vs. daily oral iron supplementation in schoolchildren . Sixty children ranging between 5 and 10 years with iron deficiency anemia were selected from a school in Karachi , Pakistan and were divided into two equal groups , i.e. , daily and weekly supplementation groups . Hemoglobin ( Hb ) , hematocrit ( Hct ) , serum iron , total iron binding capacity ( TIBC ) , and serum ferritin were determined before the start of the study . Ferrous sulfate ( 200 mg ) was given daily to the daily supplementation group and once-weekly to the weekly supplementation group for 2 months . When post-supplementation values of the above-mentioned parameters were determined , a significant improvement was observed in all parameters in both groups . It is concluded that once-weekly iron supplementation is as effective as daily supplementation for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia . Moreover , weekly iron supplementation is cost effective and has no or fewer side-effects Objective Iron supplementation in iron-deficiency anaemia is st and ard practice , but the benefits of iron supplementation in iron-deficient non-anaemic ( IDNA ) individuals remains controversial . Our objective is to identify the effects of iron therapy on fatigue and physical capacity in IDNA adults . Design Systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) . Setting Primary care . Participants Adults ( ≥18 years ) who were iron deficient but non-anaemic . Interventions Oral , intramuscular or intravenous iron supplementation ; all therapy doses , frequencies and duration s were included . Comparators Placebo or active therapy . Results We identified RCTs in Medline , Embase , Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials , Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health , SportD iscus and CAB Abstract s from inception to 31 October 2016 . We search ed the WHO ’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for relevant ongoing trials and performed forward search es of included trials and relevant review s in Web of Science . We assessed internal validity of included trials using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the external validity using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment , Development and Evaluation methodology . From 11 580 citations , we included 18 unique trials and 2 companion papers enrolling 1170 patients . Using a Mantel-Haenszel r and om-effects model , iron supplementation was associated with reduced self-reported fatigue ( st and ardised mean difference ( SMD ) −0.38 ; 95 % CI −0.52 to −0.23 ; I2 0 % ; 4 trials ; 714 participants ) but was not associated with differences in objective measures of physical capacity , including maximal oxygen consumption ( SMD 0.11 ; 95 % CI −0.15 to 0.37 ; I2 0 % ; 9 trials ; 235 participants ) and timed methods of exercise testing  . Iron supplementation significantly increased serum haemoglobin concentration ( MD 4.01 g/L ; 95 % CI 1.22 to 6.81 ; I2 48 % ; 12 trials ; 298 participants ) and serum ferritin ( MD 9.23 µmol/L ; 95 % CI 6.48 to 11.97 ; I2 58 % ; 14 trials ; 616 participants ) . Conclusion In IDNA adults , iron supplementation is associated with reduced subjective measures of fatigue but not with objective improvements in physical capacity . Given the global prevalence of both iron deficiency and fatigue , patients and practitioners could consider consumption of iron-rich foods or iron supplementation to improve symptoms of fatigue in the absence of documented anaemia . PROSPERO registration number CRD42014007085 Objective : To determine the effectiveness of combined iron and zinc over the iron or zinc-only supplementation in correcting deficiency and possible interactive effects in a group of adolescent school children . Subjects and methods : Schoolchildren ( n=821 ) of 12–16 years of age were r and omized into four groups and supplemented with iron ( 50 mg/day ) , zinc ( 14 mg/day ) , iron+zinc or placebo capsules 5 days per week for 24 weeks . Anthropometry , and haemoglobin ( Hb ) , serum zinc ( SZn ) and serum ferritin ( SF ) concentrations were determined before and after the intervention . Results : There were no significant effects between-groups in their weight , height and Hb concentrations with the intervention when compared with the placebo group . Iron-only and combination-supplemented groups had reached mean SF concentrations of 55.1 μg/l with no difference between them ( P=0.99 ) . The zinc-only group had a mean change of 4.3 μmol//l whereas the combine-supplemented group had a mean change of 4.0 μmol/l ( P=0.82 ) . The prevalence of anaemia was found to be 70.3 % in the iron group at baseline ; this was reduced to 14.5 % after the supplementation . In the combine-supplemented group anaemia , prevalence was reduced from 64.8 to 19.3 % . Conclusions : Zinc alone or in combination with iron has not shown a significant improvement in growth in adolescence . Severe and moderate forms of anaemia were successfully treated in children who received iron supplementation . Initial high prevalence of low SZn and iron stores was significantly improved with micronutrient supplementation OBJECTIVE Is intravenous iron therapy as efficient as oral iron supplementation in patients undergoing autologous blood donation ? DESIGN Prospect i ve , r and omized study . PATIENTS AND SETTING 30 male and 30 female patients , separated into two groups were examined prior to total hip replacement . INTERVENTIONS Patients of group O were given 6 x 50 mg Fe2 + aspartate/day orally , and patients of group P were given 0.75 mg/kg BW complex-bound Fe3 + once a week by infusion . In both groups therapy was started two weeks prior to the first donation . The substitution was continued the following six weeks until surgery . Hemoglobin , ferritin plasma concentrations and reticulocytes were monitored . The appearance of unwanted side effects was studied by question naire . RESULTS Hb decreased significantly in both groups . A difference was seen in the reticulocyte count and in the ferritin levels . Here we found a significant increase in group P compared with group O. 40 % of the patients who took the iron orally complained about unwanted side effects such as obstipation and diarrhoea , whereas none of the patients of the parenteral group had any complaints . CONCLUSIONS Stimulation of the erythropoiesis appeared to be more efficient with intravenous iron therapy than with oral iron supplementation . The oral dose has in about 40 % unwanted side effects . For this reason a parenteral iron therapy can be considered , but one must be aware that in some cases dangerous anaphylactic reactions could appear OBJECTIVES Anaemia is a frequent complication after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery .  Iron therapy has been variably employed by medical centres over the years . In our study we test the clinical effectiveness of intravenous and oral iron supplementation in correcting anaemia , and its impact on blood transfusion requirements , in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery . METHODS A double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled clinical trial with three parallel groups of patients . Group I ( n = 54 ) : intravenous iron(III)-hydroxide sucrose complex , three doses of 100 mg/24 h during pre- and postoperative hospitalization and 1 pill/24 h of oral placebo in the same period and during 1 month after discharge . Group II ( n = 53 ) : oral ferrous fumarate iron 1 pill/24 h pre- and postoperatively and during 1 month after discharge , and intravenous placebo while hospitalized . Group III ( n = 52 ) : oral and intravenous placebo pre- and postoperatively , following the same protocol . Data were collected preoperatively , at theatre , at intensive care unit admission , before hospital discharge and 1 month later . RESULTS ( 1 ) Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics and surgical procedures were similar in the three groups ; ( 2 ) no inter-group differences were found in haemoglobin and haematocrit during the postoperative period ; ( 3 ) the intravenous iron group showed higher serum ferritin levels at hospital discharge ( 1321 ± 495 ng/ml ; P < 0.001 ) and 1 month later ( 610 ± 387 ; P < 0.001 ) compared with the other groups and ( 4 ) we did not observe statistical differences in blood transfusion requirements between the three groups . CONCLUSIONS The use of intravenous or oral iron supplementation proved ineffective in correcting anaemia after cardiopulmonary bypass and did not reduce blood transfusion requirements . [ Current Controlled Trials number : NCT01078818 ( oral and intravenous iron in patients postoperative cardiovascular surgery under EC ) ] The vast majority of erythropoietin (EPO)–treated peritoneal dialysis ( PD ) patients require iron supplementation . Most authors and clinical practice guidelines recommend primary oral iron supplementation in PD patients because it is more practical and less expensive . However , numerous studies have clearly demonstrated that oral iron therapy is unable to maintain EPO-treated PD patients in positive iron balance . Once patients become iron-deficient , intravenous iron administration has been found to more effectively augment iron stores and hematologic response than does oral therapy . We recently performed a prospect i ve , cross-over trial in 28 iron-replete PD patients and showed that twice-monthly outpatient iron polymaltose infusions ( 200 mg ) were a practical and safe alternative to oral iron . That treatment produced significant increases in hemoglobin concentration and body iron stores . The additional expense of intravenous iron therapy was completely offset by reductions in EPO dosage . Careful monitoring of iron stores is important in patients receiving intravenous  iron supplementation in view of epidemiologic links with infection and cardiovascular disease . Nevertheless , a growing body of evidence suggests that , as has been found for hemodialysis patients , intravenous iron therapy is superior to oral iron supplementation in EPO-treated PD patients This prospect i ve study was design ed to evaluate the eventual correction of anemia and iron status in 39 iron-deficient uremics starting hemodialysis . Nine patients ( control group ) had no iron supplementation  , 10 had oral ferrous iron , and 20 were treated with intravenous iron gluconate . Follow-up periods were 12 months for the control group and 26 months for patients treated with oral or intravenous iron . No patient was treated with erythropoietin . At zero time , all patients were anemic ( Hb < 78 g/l ) and showed signs of severe iron deficiency , diagnosed on the basis of depleted bone marrow iron stores , reduced hemoglobin iron , and transferrin saturation < 21 % . The hemoglobin levels , observed in patients of the control and the oral iron groups at the end of the follow-up periods , were not significantly different from those detected at zero time . In contradistinction , patients treated with intravenous iron showed after 26 months of follow-up a significant increase of blood hemoglobin values , reaching a mean value of 126 g/l . So far , this evidence supports both the concept that iron absorption is compromised in chronic uremics and that the parenteral way is the more effective route for iron replacement in this specific group of patients RATIONALE It has been suggested that in pregnant women weekly iron supplements are as effective as daily supplements in preventing iron deficiency anaemia ( IDA ) . OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness of prophylactic antenatal oral iron supplements given weekly , thrice weekly and daily in preventing IDA in pregnancy . DESIGN A r and omised control trial . SETTING University antenatal clinic , ( UANC ) Galle . SUBJECTS AND METHOD An oral iron supplement containing 100 mg of elemental iron was r and omly given weekly ( n = 26 ) thrice weekly ( n = 35 ) and daily ( n = 31 ) to 92 women who were 14 to 24 weeks pregnant .  Haemoglobin ( Hb ) , serum ferritin ( SF ) and haematocrit ( Hct ) were assessed before and after 12 to 20 weeks of supplementation and a logistic regression analysis carried out . RESULTS The risk of developing anaemia was significantly higher in the weekly ( odds ratio 15 , 95 % CI 1.4 - 165.6 , p < 0.03 ) and possibly higher in the thrice weekly ( odds ratio 3 , 95 % CI 0.3 - 30.3 , p = 0.3 ) groups . The risk of developing iron deficiency ( SF < 12 micrograms/l ) was also significantly higher in the weekly ( odds ratio 18 , 95 % CI 2.8 - 115.5 , p < 0.003 ) and thrice weekly ( odds ratio 10 , 95 % CI 1.6 - 64.8 , p < 0.02 ) groups . CONCLUSION Prophylactic oral iron supplements when given intermittently were not effective in preventing iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy Background : Oral iron therapy is often used after orthopaedic surgery to improve haemoglobin levels . The aim of the present trial was to determine if administration of oral iron  after orthopaedic surgery results in a better improvement of haemoglobin levels than a control treatment The effects of oral iron supplementation on blood iron levels and learning achievement in 130 rural Indonesian school children were assessed in this double-blind study . The children were classified into anemic and nonanemic groups according to their initial hemoglobin and transferrin saturation levels and were r and omly assigned to either iron or placebo treatment for 3 mo . Hematological , anthropometric , and learning-achievement data were collected before ( T1 ) and after ( T2 ) the treatment period and 3 mo later . The means and st and ard deviations suggest that supplementation with 10 mg ferrous sulfate per kilogram body weight per day for 3 mo result ed in an apparent improvement in anemic subjects ' hematological status and learning-achievement scores . No tests of statistical comparisons are reported BACKGROUND Daily oral iron supplementation during pregnancy fails to reduce the prevalence of anemia . However , 2 or 3 intramuscular doses of iron given at monthly intervals were recently found to be effective . OBJECTIVE We compared the safety and efficacy in treating pregnancy anemia of 3 intramuscular doses of iron given at monthly intervals with those of daily oral iron supplementation . DESIGN In a prospect i ve , partially r and omized study , 148 pregnant women received daily oral doses of 100 mg elemental Fe and 500 micro g folic acid , and 106 pregnant women received 3 intramuscular doses of 250 mg elemental Fe as iron dextran at 1-mo intervals and oral doses of 5 mg folic acid twice weekly .  One hundred women in each group completed the study .  Changes in hemoglobin , iron indicators , pregnancy outcomes , and birth weight were compared between the 2 groups . RESULTS Hemoglobin and iron indicators improved significantly with both treatments . The increase in serum ferritin concentration after parenteral iron treatment was significantly higher than that after oral iron treatment . No significant differences between the 2 groups in pregnancy outcomes and birth weight were observed . Systemic side effects were more common in the parenteral iron group , whereas gastrointestinal side effects were more common in the oral iron group . CONCLUSIONS The intramuscular administration of 3 doses of 250 mg Fe at monthly intervals appears to have good compliance and efficacy and may be used in women who can not tolerate oral administration of iron . However , intramuscular administration of iron is appropriate only in hospital setting s well equipped to treat anaphylactic crises BACKGROUND Intravenous iron is a recognized therapy of anaemia in chronic haemodialyzed patients , especially in those receiving erythropoietin ( Epo ) , while its role in the anaemia of pre-dialyzed chronic renal failure ( CRF ) patients is much less clear . This study attempted to evaluate the effects of intravenous iron in anaemic pre-dialyzed patients . METHODS Sixty anaemic ( haemoglobin<11 g/dl ) non-diabetic patients with moderate CRF [ 32 males , 28 females ; mean age 52.2+/-12.5 years ; mean glomerular filtration rate 36.2+/-5.2 ml/min ] , without iron deficiency , iron overload or inflammation , without concomitant erythropoietin treatment and without any previous iron therapy were enrolled .  Intravenous iron was administered as iron sucrose , 200 mg elemental iron per month for 12 months , with 1 month pre- study survey and 1 month follow-up after the last iron dose . RESULTS Intravenous iron supplementation was associated with a significant increase in haemoglobin ( from 9.7+/-1.1 at the baseline to 11.3+/-2.5 g/dl after 12 months , a mean increase of 1.6 g/dl ) , a further 36 % of patients reaching the target haemoglobin of 10 g/dl . There was a significant increase in serum iron from 73.9+/-17.2 to 101.8+/-12.2 microg/dl , in serum ferritin from 98.0 ( 24.8 - 139.0 ) to 442.5 ( 86.0 - 496.0 ) microg/l and in transferrin saturation from 21.6+/-2.6 to 33.6+/-3.2 % . No worsening of renal function , no increase in blood pressure and no other side effects were noted . CONCLUSIONS Intravenous iron therapy in pre-dialysis patients with no Epo seems often to ameliorate the anaemia , avoiding the necessity of Epo or blood transfusions in one-third of pre-dialyzed non-diabetic patients . Intravenous iron supplementation appears to be an effective and safe treatment for anaemia in pre-dialysis CRF patients OBJECTIVES To compare oral versus intravenous iron in pre-dialysis patients of chronic renal failure ( CRF ) receiving recombinant human erythropoietin ( rHuEPO ) . METHODS The study was undertaken in 40 adult patients of chronic renal failure . The patients were r and omly divided into two groups A and B of 20 patients each . Group A patients were given oral iron and group B patients were given intravenous iron . All patients in both groups were given recombinant human erythropoietin 2000 IU twice weekly subcutaneously . The study was carried for up to three months . Patients were monitored every month for renal parameters and haematological parameters which included haemoglobin , reticulocyte count and packed cell volume . Ferrokinetic studies were done at baseline and at three months . RESULTS It was observed that haematological parameters showed significant statistical improvement in the intravenous iron group as compared to group A ( oral iron group ) . The ferrokinetic studies revealed that serum iron , serum ferritin and transferrin saturation , decreased significantly in oral iron group , whereas significant increase was seen in group B ( intravenous iron group ) . None of the patients developed any adverse effects because of erythropoietin or iron therapy . CONCLUSIONS Concomitant use of intravenous iron is better than oral iron in CRF patients treated with rHuEPO . The intravenous route of iron administration may be a preferred route along with rHuEPO therapy , more so in the Indian context where prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia is fairly high OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of oral iron replacement therapy as an effective treatment for  acute surgically induced anemia .  DESIGN Double-blind , placebo-controlled , r and omized clinical trial . SETTING Perioperative acute care hospital and a surgery clinic for a single cardiothoracic physician group . PATIENTS One hundred twenty-eight men and postmenopausal women , 50 years of age or older , admitted for elective coronary artery bypass surgery over a consecutive 8-month period . OUTCOME MEASURES Before surgery : serum iron , serum ferritin , hemoglobin and hematocrit . Six days after surgery : hemoglobin and hematocrit . Mean of 59 days after surgery : serum iron , serum ferritin , hemoglobin and hematocrit . INTERVENTION Patients were r and omized to one of four groups : control group ; placebo group ; low-dose group , 50 mg elemental iron + 60 mg ascorbic acid in a multi-vitamin daily ; and usual-dose group , 200 mg elemental iron daily . RESULTS One hundred twenty-one subjects completed the study : 100 men ( 82.6 % ) mean age 64.5 years and 21 women ( 17.4 % ) , mean age 65.7 years . There were no statistically significant age or gender differences among groups . Statistical analysis revealed , except for side effects , no differences between or among groups for any variable measured during the last two time intervals . The mean hemoglobin and hematocrit of the entire sample at 6 days was 9.5 + /- 1.2 gm/dl and 28 % + /- 2.3 % , respectively . At a mean of 59 days later these values increased equally for all groups to a mean for the cohort of 13.6 + /- 1 gm/dl for hemoglobin and 40.6 % + /- 3 for hematocrit . Serum iron and ferritin were within the normal range . The 200 mg group experienced significantly more side effects ( p < 0.01 ) . CONCLUSION Thus the use of oral iron supplements for the treatment of acute blood loss anemia after uncomplicated coronary artery bypass surgery did not assist in restoring red blood cell mass or help maintain total body iron stores Introduction : Nutritional anaemia in India is common morbidity seen in late adolescent and young female population . There are many conflicting opinions regarding dosage of iron folic acid supplementation for managing this simple nutritional deficiency disorder . Hence , this ‘ R and omized Controlled Trial ’ was undertaken in adolescent girls suffering from Iron Deficiency Anaemia visiting ‘ Urban Health and Training Centre ’ situated in urban slum area . The aim of this study was to assess the ( a ) Impact of weekly iron folic acid supplementation in comparison with daily iron supplementation for the management of Iron Deficiency Anaemia in adolescent girls visiting ‘ Urban Health and Training Centre ’ ; ( b ) Adverse drug reaction profile in ‘ Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation ’ and ‘ Daily Iron Folic Acid Supplementation ’ regimes ; ( c ) Compliance profile for ‘ Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation ’ and ‘ Daily Iron Folic Acid Supplementation ’ regimes in adolescent girls . Methods and Material : R and omized controlled trial was conducted in adolescent girls visiting ‘ Urban Health and Training Centre ’ during the study period June , 2011 to October , 2012 . The 120 anaemic ( Haemoglobin < 12 gm% ) adolescent girls ( 10 - 19 years ) were distributed r and omly by block r and omization in two groups ; one receiving daily Iron and Folic Acid supplementation and in other group receiving weekly Iron and Folic Acid supplementation for 3 months . All the study subjects were given de-worming ( Albendazole 400 mg ) and required health education separately . Both the groups were monitored for Haemoglobin estimation , compliance and adverse drug reactions , if any . Open-Epi Statistical Software was used for data analysis . Results : The mean age of study subjects in ‘ Daily Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation ’  and  ‘ Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation ’ group was 13.48 and 13.55 years respectively . Their mean pre intervention Haemoglobin was 10.1±1.1 gm/dl and 10.4±1.1 gm/dl respectively . The mean rise in Haemoglobin after lean period of 1 month in respective groups was almost equal i.e. 1.0±0.7 gm/dl and 1.0±0.8 gm/dl . Adverse Drug Reactions were 8.3 % in weekly regime as compared to 13.35 % in daily regime , abdominal pain being the commonest adverse drug reaction seen . The compliance calculated as mean of unconsumed ‘ Iron and Folic Acid ’ tablets was 6.1±10.98 in ‘ Daily Iron Folic Acid Supplementation ’ group , while it was 1.3±3.15 in ‘ Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation ’ group ( p=0.0012 ) , making weekly regime more promising than daily regime with better treatment compliance . Conclusions : Weekly supplementation of ‘ Iron and Folic Acid ’ in ‘ Iron Deficiency Anaemia ’ patients is as good as daily supplementation with added benefits of less adverse reactions and better compliance The effect of iron fortification is generally assumed to be less than iron supplementation ; however , the magnitude of difference in effects is not known . The present study aims to compare the efficacy of these two strategies on anaemia and iron status . After screening on low Hb , 425 anaemic children in six primary schools in Tam Nong district of Phu Tho province were included in a r and omized , placebo-controlled trial comparing two groups receiving iron fortified instant noodles or iron supplementation for 6 months and a control group , with children in all groups having been dewormed .  Blood sample s were collected before and after intervention for haemoglobin , serum ferritin ( SF ) , serum transferrin receptor ( TfR ) , C-reactive protein ( CRP ) , and haemoglobinopathies analysis . Regression analysis was used to assess the effect of iron fortification and iron supplementation on haemoglobin concentration , SF , TfR , body iron , and anaemic status as outcome variables . The improvement of haemoglobin , SF , and body iron level in the group receiving iron fortification was 42 % ( 2.6 g/L versus 6.2 g/L ) , 20 % ( 23.5 μg/L versus 117.3 μg/L ) , and 31.3 % ( 1.4 mg/kg versus 4.4 mg/kg ) of that in the iron supplementation group . The prevalence of anaemia dropped to 15.1 % in the control group , with an additional reduction of anaemia of 8.5 % in the iron supplementation group . The additional reduction due to iron fortification was 5.4 % , which amounts to well over 50 % of the impact of supplementation . In conclusion , the efficacy of iron fortification based on reduction of prevalence of anaemia , and on the change in haemoglobin level , is about half of the maximum impact of supplementation in case of optimal compliance . Thus , in a population of anaemic children with mild iron deficiency , iron fortification should be the preferred strategy to combat anaemia
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 .