Systematic review and meta-analysis of iron therapy in anaemic adults without chronic kidney disease: updated and abridged Cochrane review.
Anaemia is increasingly recognized as having an independent impact upon patient outcomes in cardiac disease. The role of novel iron therapies to treat anaemia is increasing. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the efficacy and safety of iron therapies for the treatment of adults with anaemia.



Electronic databases and search engines were searched as per Cochrane methodology. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of iron vs. inactive control or placebo, as well as alternative formulations, doses, and routes in anaemic adults without chronic kidney disease or in the peri-partum period were eligible. The primary outcome of interest was mortality at 1 year. Secondary outcomes were blood transfusion, haemoglobin levels, quality of life, serious adverse events, and length of hospital stay. A total of 64 RCTs (including five studies of heart failure patients) comprising 9004 participants were included. None of the studies was at a low risk of bias. There were no statistically significant differences in mortality between iron and inactive control. Both oral and parenteral iron significantly reduced the proportion of patients requiring blood transfusion compared with inactive control [risk ratio (RR) 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48-0.90; and RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.97, respectively]. Haemoglobin was increased more by both oral and parenteral iron compared with inactive control [mean difference (MD) 0.91 g/dL, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.35; and MD 1.04, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.57, respectively], and parenteral iron demonstrated a greater increase when compared with oral iron (MD 0.53 g/dL, 95% CI 0.31-0.75). In all comparisons, there were no differences in the results comparing patients with and without heart failure.



Both oral and parenteral iron are shown to decrease the proportion of people who require blood transfusion and increase haemoglobin levels, without any benefit on mortality. Further trials at a low risk of bias, powered to measure clinically significant endpoints, are still required.
Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK.
Ben
B
Clevenger
Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK.
Kurinchi
K
Gurusamy
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Andrew A
AA
Klein
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, University of Leicester, and Glenfield General Hospital, Leicester, UK.
Gavin J
GJ
Murphy
Department of Innovative Clinical Trials, University Medical Centre Göttingen (UMG), Göttingen, Germany.
Stefan D
SD
Anker
Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK.
Toby
T
Richards
D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007902:Length of Stay; D009026:Mortality; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011788:Quality of Life; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D006454:Hemoglobins; D014131:Trace Elements; D007501:Iron
Anaemia; Blood transfusion; Haemoglobin; Intravenous iron; Iron; Iron deficiency; Iron therapy; Patient blood management