Pilot Study to Gain First Indications for the Impact of a 3-Month's Oral Intake of a Sucrosomial Iron Supplement on Hemoglobin in Iron-Deficient Blood Donors

INTRODUCTION: Regular whole blood donors often suffer from iron deficiency (ID) or iron deficiency anemia due to the loss of 200–300 mg of iron with each donation. Hemoglobin (Hb) as donor eligibility criterion reflects iron stores only poorly. ID in blood donors is typically prevented or treated with orally administered ferrous salts, which frequently cause gastrointestinal side effects. A high daily oral iron dose is counterproductive due to hepcidin upregulation. Oral sucrosomial iron ((sucr)iron) is encapsulated ferric pyrophosphate that may be an option for blood donors due to its supposed high bioavailability and good tolerability. METHODS: This monocentric single-cohort pilot study included fifty whole blood donors (divided into premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, and men) who did not meet Hb donation criteria. Participants aged 18–65 years with ferritin <30 ng/mL and venous Hb <12.5 g/dL in women and Hb <13.5 g/dL in men received oral (sucr)iron (30 mg iron) for 90–120 days. Primary endpoints were the increase of Hb and ferritin. RESULTS: Forty-seven participants completed the study. With the limitation that no control group was included, there was a substantial overall median increase of 0.94 g/dL Hb and 4.97 ng/mL ferritin (standardized on 90 days of iron intake). These value improvements were likewise observed in each of the subgroups. (sucr)iron was very well tolerated, with almost no gastrointestinal side effects identified. CONCLUSION: A clear increase of Hb and ferritin was observed after the intake of (sucr)iron, so it may be a reasonable and useful alternative to traditional oral iron therapy. The ease of administration, pleasant taste, dietary supplement status, and, most importantly, good tolerability highlight the value of (sucr)iron supplementation.