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Anemia, Iron Status, and HIV: A Systematic Review of the Evidence.

Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
January 1, 1970
Ajibola I Abioye et al. (4 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the role of iron supplementation in reducing anemia and improving health outcomes in people living with HIV (PLWHIV), while assessing potential risks such as increased HIV replication and opportunistic infections.

Results Summary

The study found that anemia in PLWHIV is associated with higher all-cause mortality and tuberculosis risk, but iron supplementation's safety and efficacy remain unclear due to mixed evidence, including one observational study linking it to increased mortality. High serum ferritin was linked to adverse outcomes, though causality (iron vs. inflammation) was undetermined.

Population

Adults and children with HIV.

Effective Dosage

Not Assessed

Duration

Not Assessed

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (10)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
iron supplementation
decrease
iron deficiency anemia
the general population
-
can reduce
#1
iron supplementation
increase
HIV replication
PLWHIV
-
may increase
#2
iron supplementation
increase
risk of opportunistic infections
PLWHIV
-
may increase
#3
-
increase
all-cause mortality
HIV-infected individuals
-
is associated with an increased risk of
#4
-
increase
incident tuberculosis
HIV-infected individuals
-
is associated with an increased risk of
#5
-
increase
anemia
HIV-infected individuals
more severe
the magnitude of the risk is greater
#6
-
increase
adverse clinical outcomes
-
-
is associated with
#7
iron supplementation
increase
all-cause mortality
HIV-infected adults
-
found an increased risk of
#8
iron supplementation
no change
effectiveness
PLWHIV
-
inconclusive in terms of
#9
iron supplementation
no change
safety
PLWHIV
-
inconclusive in terms of
#10
Abstract

People living with HIV (PLWHIV) are at high risk of anemia due to inadequate iron intake, HIV and opportunistic infections, and inflammation, and as a side effect of antiretroviral therapy. Though iron supplementation can reduce iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the general population, its role in anemia and in the health of PLWHIV is unclear due to concerns that iron supplementation may increase HIV replication and risk of opportunistic infections. We systematically reviewed the evidence on indicators of iron status, iron intake, and clinical outcomes among adults and children with HIV. The evidence suggests that anemia is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and incident tuberculosis among HIV-infected individuals, regardless of anemia type, and the magnitude of the risk is greater with more severe anemia. High serum ferritin is associated with adverse clinical outcomes, although it is unclear if this is due to high iron or inflammation from disease progression. One large observational study found an increased risk of all-cause mortality among HIV-infected adults if they received iron supplementation. Published randomized controlled trials of iron supplementation among PLWHIV tend to have small sample sizes and have been inconclusive in terms of effectiveness and safety. Large randomized trials exploring approaches to safely and effectively provide iron supplementation to PLWHIV are warranted.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAnemiaAnemia, Iron-DeficiencyChildDietary SupplementsDisease ProgressionHIV InfectionsHumansIronObservational Studies as Topic
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety30
Efficacy50/10
Quality70/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations44
Citations/Year8.8
Relative Citation Ratio3.44
NIH Percentile87.6%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score1.70
Normalized Score0.46
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