SynthesisDrugs & aging2015
Systematic review and meta-analysis: what is the evidence for oral iron supplementation in treating anaemia in elderly people?
Synthesis in Drugs & aging, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- How to Optimize the Effectiveness and Safety of Parkinson's Disease Therapy? - A Systematic Review of Drugs Interactions with Food and Dietary Supplements.Current neuropharmacology · 2022Pooled it
- Nutrition-specific interventions for preventing and controlling anaemia throughout the life cycle: an overview of systematic reviews.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Review
- Determination of prevalence and cause of anaemia among adolescent pregnant girls in Ussher Hospital, James Town, Ghana.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Mineral Supplements in Ageing.Sub-cellular biochemistry · 2024Review
- Daily versus every other day oral iron supplementation in patients with iron deficiency anemia (DEODO): study protocol for a phase 3 multicentered, pragmatic, open-label, pilot randomized controlled trial.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2022Article
- Pharmacotherapy and the Role of Pharmacists in Rehabilitation Medicine.Progress in rehabilitation medicine · 2022Review
- Unexplained Anemia in the Elderly.Cureus · 2021Review
- Variability in the clinical management of iron deficiency anaemia in older adults: results from a survey of UK specialists in the care of older people.Therapeutic advances in drug safety · 2019Article
- [Anemia in the aged].Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie · 2018Article
- The pale evidence for treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia in older people.Therapeutic advances in drug safety · 2018Article
- Management of Anemia in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).Current treatment options in gastroenterology · 2018Review
- Article
- Anemia in the frail, elderly patient.Clinical interventions in aging · 2016Review
- Anaemia in the Elderly IBD Patient.Current treatment options in gastroenterology · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOral iron supplementation is used widely in older people despite observational studies suggesting it is ineffective.
objectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to determine if oral iron therapy is effective in elderly people with iron deficiency anaemia. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to 23 January 2014. STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials comparing oral iron with no iron supplementation or placebo and measuring the change in haemoglobin levels in elderly patients with anaemia were included. Titles and abstracts were reviewed and publications were screened by both authors independently to exclude articles that did not satisfy the inclusion criteria. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS: Risk of bias was systematically assessed independently by both authors using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data on the increase in haemoglobin level after therapy was either collected from original publications or by contacting the corresponding authors. Length of hospitalisation, mortality and adverse effect data were also analysed.
resultsA total of 6,163 citations were screened, but only three studies (a total of 440 participants with a mean age ranging between 70 and 83 years) met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed oral iron supplementation increased haemoglobin levels more than placebo or no treatment after 4-6 weeks of treatment (mean difference 0.35 g/dL, 95 % CI 0.12-0.59, p = 0.003). There were no statistically significant differences in adverse effects, length of hospitalisation or mortality. LIMITATIONS: Only one of the three studies was specific to older people and all studies involved patients in orthopaedic settings. The mean age of participants was different, and the dosage and frequency of ferrous sulphate differed.
conclusionOral iron raises haemoglobin levels in elderly people with iron deficiency anaemia by 0.35 g/dL after 4-6 weeks, but it is unclear if this results in tangible health benefits.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.