A recent study has reported that iron deficiency increases risk of fatigue and poor functional recovery among the elderly hospitalized patients.
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| Photo: Elderly Hospitalized Patient | InStyleHealth |
The study included 224 eligible patients with ages 65 –
95 years old; of which 67% were women, who were admitted into a geriatric acute
care ward.
The serum ferritin, iron, and transferrin, along with
blood hemoglobin, were measured, and current use of iron supplements was also taken
into account. All subjects have undergone geriatric assessment during hospital
admission.
There were 91 participants or 41% had iron deficiency,
which is defined in this study as serum ferritin <30 ng/L and transferrin
saturation (TSAT) <16%. The baseline median scores in the fatigue severity
scale were significantly higher among those with reported iron deficiency; the
same was true for the frail simple scale.
Both subgroups of patients with and without iron deficiency
saw significant improvements in measures of functional status, including
handgrip strength, isometric knee extension strength, and Barthel Index scores
during their hospital stay. Whereas within-group changes were significant,
between-group comparison came out as not significant.
There were 51 iron-deficient subjects who received iron supplementation during their hospital stay, majority of whom (96%) were given oral supplements; while two needed intravenous iron.
For those who had
taken supplements appeared to have significantly better isometric knee extension
strength at discharge than comparators without supplementation. Although there
was no other parameter was affected.
Utilizing the multiple regression analysis, it
confirmed that the iron deficiency was a significant and independent correlated
of fatigue during hospital admission and of changes in Barthel Index scores
over the duration of hospitalization of the patients. For further details of
this study, click here.
Source: Eur J Clin Nutr 2021;75:456-463