title: Iron replacement therapy: do we need new guidelines?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Approximately, one-third of the world's population suffers from anemia, and at least half of these cases are because of iron deficiency. With the introduction of new intravenous iron preparations over the last decade, uncertainty has arisen when these compounds should be administered and under which circumstances oral therapy is still an appropriate and effective treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Numerous guidelines are available, but none go into detail about therapeutic start and end points or how iron-deficiency anemia should be best treated depending on the underlying cause of iron deficiency or in regard to concomitant underlying or additional diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study points to major issues to be considered in revisions of future guidelines for the true optimal iron replacement therapy, including how to assess the need for treatment, when to start and when to stop treatment, when to follow-up for relapse, which dosage and type of therapy should be recommended or not recommended, and if some patients should not be treated.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Gastroenterology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark bDepartment of Internal Medicine VI, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Ole Haagen
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D007501:Iron