Add Vitamin C to Oral Iron?

Patients with iron deficiency who took vitamin C with oral iron had no clinically relevant changes in hemoglobin or ferritin compared with those who took iron alone.

Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia in the world and is typically treated with oral iron. However, oral iron's effectiveness can be limited by gastrointestinal adverse events and poor absorption. To enhance absorption, some clinicians advise concomitant vitamin C, but the clinical benefit of this approach is controversial. To address this, investigators conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that included 1 cohort study (N=148) and 10 randomized controlled trials (N=1782) comparing iron supplementation with vitamin C to iron alone.

Patients taking vitamin C plus iron had statistically significant mean increases in hemoglobin (0.14 g/dL) and ferritin (3.23 µg/L) compared with those taking iron only, but the researchers…

Reviewing Author

Brady L. Stein, MD, MHS

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Hematology (Senior Editor, ASH Self-Assessment Program; guideline development)

Brady L. Stein, MD, MHS

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Hematology (Senior Editor, ASH Self-Assessment Program; guideline development)

Add Vitamin C to Oral Iron?

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Reviewing Author