Tag: Iron supplementation

Nearly all patients with chronic kidney disease on erythropoietin (EPO) therapy require iron supplementation to prevent functional iron deficiency, which can hinder treatment efficacy. EPO, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production, relies heavily on adequate iron to function properly. Without sufficient iron stores and availability, the body cannot produce enough red blood cells, even with high doses of EPO. This necessitates regular monitoring and management of specific iron markers to ensure optimal treatment outcomes.

Iron supplementation is essential to maximize the effect of epoetin-induced red blood cell production. When epoetin stimulates the bone marrow to create new red blood cells, it places an immense demand on the body's iron stores, requiring concurrent supplementation to prevent or correct deficiency.

Despite both being ferrous salts used for iron supplementation, ferrous succinate and ferrous sulfate are not the same chemical compound, each having a distinct formulation that affects its elemental iron content and how it is absorbed by the body. These differences are key when selecting the right oral iron therapy for iron deficiency anemia.