Alternate day oral iron more effective than daily use among diabetes patients with anemia, suggests study

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are the most prevalent diseases, and diabetic patients are more prone to IDA. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between patients with diabetes and IDA about taking iron pills daily and every other day to reduce the effects related to it. Ninety-one participants were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups, with a final analysis cohort of 72 patients. The primary focus was on changes in serum Hb and Ferritin levels. The screening phase lasted 24 weeks, leading to 72 eligible participants meeting the criteria for entry into the study. Additionally, the study examined alternations in Hb and Hb A1C levels after treating patients with iron deficiency.

The Hb and ferritin level contrasts between groups were not significant (P = 0.096 and P = 0.500, respectively). The relationship between Hb A1C and Hb levels before and after treatment was positive and significant (r 2 = 0.187). The results of the present study show that although the effectiveness of using oral iron supplements did not have a significant difference in terms of increasing haemoglobin and ferritin, the use of oral iron once every other day was more effective than the use of oral iron every day, and also in this study Like other studies, this result concluded that there is a negative correlation between Hb A1C and Hb, and to check the status of Hb A1C in diabetics, the level of Hb should be considered first.

Reference:

Taati B, Ganji R, Moradi L, Vosoughi T, Gisouei A. Therapeutic effect of ferrous sulfate in diabetic patients with iron deficiency anaemia: a randomised controlled trial. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2024;86(4):1989-1996. Published 2024 Feb 15. doi:10.1097/MS9.0000000000001838