Clinical evaluation of iron treatment efficiency among non-anemic but iron-deficient female blood donors: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundIron deficiency without anemia is related to adverse symptoms that can be relieved by supplementation. Since a blood donation can induce such an iron deficiency, we investigated the clinical impact of iron treatment after a blood donation.MethodsOne week after donation, we randomly assigned 154 female donors with iron deficiency without anemia, aged below 50 years, to a four-week oral treatment of ferrous sulfate versus a placebo. The main outcome was the change in the level of fatigue before and after the intervention. Aerobic capacity, mood disorder, quality of life, compliance and adverse events were also evaluated. Hemoglobin and ferritin were used as biological markers.ResultsThe effect of the treatment from baseline to four weeks of iron treatment was an increase in hemoglobin and ferritin levels to 5.2 g/L (P < 0.01) and 14.8 ng/mL (P < 0.01), respectively. No significant clinical effect was observed for fatigue (-0.15 points, 95% confidence interval -0.9 points to 0.6 points, P = 0.697) or for other outcomes. Compliance and interruption for side effects was similar in both groups. Additionally, blood donation did not induce overt symptoms of fatigue in spite of the significant biological changes it produces.ConclusionsThese data are valuable as they enable us to conclude that donors with iron deficiency without anemia after a blood donation would not clinically benefit from iron supplementation.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00981877

A Randomized Control Study to Evaluate Effects of Short-term Oral Iron Supplementation in Regular Voluntary Blood Donors

“…Similar drop-out rates (38.5 %) were reported by Maghsudlu et al [12] while higher percentage (47.5 %) of dropout was reported by other study [14]. In the study by Rosvik et al [15] and Waldvogel and others [16] 28.2 ± 3.0 (24.1-43.9)…”

“…Whereas in the Placebo group mean Hb decreased significantly from 13.3 to 12.8 gm/dl. Similar decrease in Hb was observed in other studies [16,19]. This reflects increase in haematopoiesis in the iron group due to oral iron supplementation.…”

“…Donors in the Iron group had a significant (p \ 0.05) increase in mean Hb from the baseline (12.9 gm/dl) to one month after donation (13.8 gm/dl) Ossorio et al [12] from Germany showed prompt and maintained recovery of Hb concentrations after iron treatment (12.9 ± 0.3 and 13.8 ± 0.2 gm/dl) in male and female donors with initially low Hb values (12.2 ± 0.6 and 12.0 ± 0.5 gm/dl). Net increase in Hb level of 0.8 gm/dl was observed by Pittori et al [19] and Waldvogel et al [16] also observed increase from 12.6 gm/dl to 13.5 gm/dl in iron group (Table 3). Whereas in the Placebo group mean Hb decreased significantly from 13.3 to 12.8 gm/dl.…”

Effect of iron supplementation on fatigue in nonanemic menstruating women with low ferritin: a randomized controlled trial

“…The effects of iron on hemoglobin concentration seem to be similar to those observed in postpartum nonanemic women, 14 military women with iron deficiency 15 and nonanemic women following blood donation. 16 These changes apparently occur within six weeks of starting treatment. 13 Patterson and colleagues' observational findings suggested that iron could improve quality of life.…”

“…Furthermore, blood markers do not necessarily reflect iron stores in other compartments. A recent study 16 suggests that following blood donation, iron supplementation can improve erythropoiesis without affecting fatigue or muscular function. Therefore, fatigue might only occur once iron deficiency becomes present in brain tissue.…”