Iron therapy

Iron therapy might have negative side effects as iron is potentially toxic, says new research.

A new study has found that iron therapy, the most common treatment for patients of chronic kidney disease might have negative side effects as iron is potentially toxic and its long-term consequences are unknown. And given that intravenous iron can damage normal kidneys, its potential toxicity poses even a greater risk for kidneys affected by disease.

HT Image

The findings have been published in the journal Kidney International, published by Blackwell on behalf of the International Society of Nephrology.

"This study will likely stimulate aggressive clinical investigation of the issues raised by the findings of this experimental paper," Dr. Richard Allen Zager, a prominent researcher who has served as a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded investigator on kidney disease for the past 25 years and the study author,noted.

He added that the study provides support to the notion that parental iron formulations are potentially toxic and rather than helping patients, iron therapy may embitter progressive renal damage.

The study also points out that the level of toxicity depends on the nature of the iron formula given to patients, as the four types of iron formulations were found to be statistically different in their toxicity.