Iron is an old product but recently it has been given a new lease of life

摘要

OVER 300 years after iron filings were first mixed with Rhenish wine, strained, sweetened and boiled into a syrup to treat chlorosis — an anaemia-like illness associated with gastrointestinal and menstrual disorders1 — iron therapy is the focus of fresh research interest. Intravenous iron is well established in the management of anaemia in chronic renal disease (CKD) and a new trial is investigating its impact on survival, heart attacks and strokes in dialysis patients. Iron therapy can also improve physical functioning in heart failure (HF) patients with iron deficiency and research is investigating whether it should become a routine part of HF care.