27 Mar Low Dose Vitamin C May Improve Iron Deficiency in Dialysis Patients

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Tanjim Sultana MD
Department of Nephrology
Lenox Hill Hospital New York

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Almost all dialysis patients are anemic. One quarter of patients requiring High dose Epogen have functional iron deficiency, which means they have adequate iron store but unable to utilize it. Vitamin C has been shown to mobilize iron from their storage and making it available to use in red blood cell production. Prior studies showed intravenous high dose vitamin C could increase hemoglobin levels and decrease epogen requirement. In our study we used daily low dose oral vitamin C in functional iron deficient patients to achieve the same goals. Patients taking daily low dose vitamin C for 3 months had significant decrease in their epogen dose compared to the control group.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Response:    Low Dose vitamin C was shown to be effective in our small group of functional iron deficient dialysis patients.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Further research should include more patients and have longer duration of vitamin C supplementation. Since vitamin C can convert to oxalate which is poorly dialyzed in ESRD patients, oxalate levels needs to be measured before wide spread long term use of vitamin C can be implemented

Citation:

Abstract presented at the 2015 National Kidney Foundation meeting

ORAL VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENTATION FOR FUNCTIONAL IRON
DEFICIENCY IN DIALYSIS PATIENTS

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MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Tanjim Sultana MD (2015). Low Dose Vitamin C May Improve Iron Deficiency in Dialysis Patients

Last Updated on March 27, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD