Loading...
Can reducing excess iron stores, which are thought to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk, improve CV outcomes? Veterans Affairs researchers conducted a multicenter, single-blind, randomized trial comparing iron reduction via phlebotomy with no iron reduction in 1277 patients (mean age, 67; 99% men) who had symptomatic, stable peripheral arterial disease (PAD). All subjects had an ankle-brachial index ≤0.85; about half had CV disease other than PAD.
The mean baseline ferritin level in all subjects was 122 ng/mL. Phlebotomy, conducted at 6-month intervals, was targeted to achieve trough levels of 25 ng/mL and, before the next phlebotomy, peak levels of 60 ng/mL. During a mean follow-up of 4.5 years, the phlebotomy group had, on a…