High-dose intravenous iron improves quality of life in patients with inflammatory Bowel disease and iron deficiency

Abstract Background Iron deficiency is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may lead to a variety of distressing symptoms negatively impacting quality of life. Aims This prospective observational cohort study aimed to assess quality of life, measured using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire before and after treatment with high-dose intravenous iron in patients with IBD and iron deficiency. Materials and methods Over a 15-month period, 130 patients with a well-established diagnosis of IBD (either ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohns disease (CD)) and confirmed iron deficiency were consecutively assessed for study eligibility at two university hospitals in South-Eastern Norway. Of these, 112 patients were included in the per protocol set. Demographic characteristics were recorded at study inclusion. Clinical, and biochemical variables, as well as SF-36 questionnaires were collected just before and 5–7 weeks after treatment with intravenous iron. Results An improvement was observed in six of the eight SF-36 domains six weeks after treatment with intravenous iron. Females had lower scores compared to males at both visits, but there were no differences between UC and CD patients. Both sexes and the two diagnoses had a significant increase in vitality scores. Haemoglobin level was a significant predictor for improvement of quality of life. Conclusions Treatment with high dose intravenous iron improves quality of life in IBD patients and iron deficiency and particularly in those with anaemia. The most significant improvements were observed in vitality and energy levels, suggesting a clinically meaningful change.