MedPath

Tolerability of Iron Therapy in Women With AUB

Conditions
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: Liposomally-bound Iron
Registration Number
NCT04915196
Lead Sponsor
University of Calgary
Brief Summary

Telephone surveys of female patients using liposomally-bound iron and traditional iron sulphate preparations for the management of iron deficiency anemia to determine gastrointestinal tolerability.

Detailed Description

1. Rationale and Background:

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) affects women worldwide. In high income countries, heavy menstrual bleeding (a subset of AUB) is the most common cause of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Although estimates vary, it appears that 20-30% of IDA is a result of heavy menstrual bleeding. Oral iron replacement is a common treatment modality among patients diagnosed with IDA. However, traditional oral iron preparations commonly result in significant gastrointestinal side effects due to the metabolism of the complex that the iron is bound to. Gastrointestinal side effects related to iron therapy, including: metallic taste, nausea, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, epigastric distress, vomiting, and melena. Therefore, liposomally bound iron is thought to provide a better side effect profile due to avoiding these traditional complexes. In theory, this will lead to higher rates of compliance and treatment efficacy if patients are not experiencing these side effects. Although we have limited data on the efficacy of this iron preparation, the literature suggests that other types of liposomally bound medications have similar efficacy as traditional preparations. Therefore, we believe that liposomally bound iron will provide an effective and well tolerated option for women suffering from IDA secondary to AUB.

2. Research Question and Objectives:

How does a novel liposomally-bound iron therapy compare to ferrous sulphate in women with anemia secondary to abnormal uterine bleeding? 2a. Determine if it has less gastrointestinal side effects than ferrous sulphate 2b. Determine if it has similar efficacy to ferrous sulphate in correcting anemia secondary to abnormal uterine bleeding

3. Methods:

Pre-menopausal women, diagnosed with anemia secondary to abnormal uterine bleeding Recruitment via physician offices of gynecologists in Calgary, AB Two treatment arms, n=10 per arm Ferrous sulphate compared to treatment arm (liposomally bound iron) Baseline hemoglobin prior to iron therapy initiation Pre-op hemoglobin to compare efficacy of iron therapy Phone interview with patients using standardized, validated questionnaire to collect information regarding gastrointestinal side effects

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
20
Inclusion Criteria
  • Diagnosed with iron deficiency secondary to abnormal uterine bleeding
Exclusion Criteria
  • Postmenopausal, premenarchal and pregnant women are excluded, as they do not have regular uterine bleeding associated with menses.

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Ferrous SulphateLiposomally-bound IronWomen age 18-50 yo that have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia secondary to abnormal uterine bleeding using Ferrous Sulphate for iron replacement
Liposomally-bound IronLiposomally-bound IronWomen age 18-50 yo that have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia secondary to abnormal uterine bleeding using Liposomally-bound Iron for iron replacement
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Subjective tolerability of oral administration8 weeks

Survey of gastrointestinal reactions to iron replacement

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Hemoglobin8 weeks

Relative change of hemoglobin

Hematocrit8 weeks

Relative change of hematocrit

Ferritin8 weeks

Relative change of ferritin

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath