EFFECTS OF LOW-DOSE IRON SUPPLEMENTATION IN WOMEN WITH LOW SERUM FERRITIN CONCENTRATION

We studied effects of dose and treatment duration during low-dose iron supplementation in premenopausal, non-pregnant women, with initial se rum ferritin and haemoglobin concentrations <20 mu g X 1(-1) and great er than or equal to 120g X 1(-1), respectively. The study was randomiz ed, double-blind and placebo-controlled. Three groups completed a 6-mo nth study: placebo (n = 27), FE-9 (9 mg iron X day(-1), n = 18) and FE -27 group (27 mg iron X day(-1), n = 19). The supplement consisted of 11% heme and 89% inorganic iron. In FE-27, serum ferritin increased fr om (mean, 95% confidence interval) 11.8 (9.7; 14.4) to 25.3 (18.6; 34. 4) mu g X 1(-1) in 1 month, and remained stable after that (ANOVA: gro up effect, P = 0.0003). In both FE-9 and FE-27, blood haemoglobin leve ls increased from 136 (132; 140) to142 (139; 145) g x 1(-1) in 1 month , remaining constant after that (group effect, P = 0.001). Hence, the 27 mg daily dose of organic/inorganic iron corrected both mild anaemia and storage iron depletion, whereas the 9 mg dose did not affect iron stores. Elongation of treatment duration above 1 month brought about only minor changes.