Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the impact of oral iron replacement treatment on glucose metabolism and anthropometric measures in premenopausal women with iron deficiency anemia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective study recruiting 30 premenopausal women diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. The participants received standard oral iron (ferrous gluconate) at a dose of 567.7 mg/day for three months. After three months of iron treatment, the participants' height, weight, and waist circumference were measured again, and fasting blood tests and oral glucose tolerance tests were repeated. RESULTS: The study included 30 premenopausal women with a median age of 24 years and a median BMI of 21.9 kg/m(2). After three months of oral iron treatment, there was a significant increase in serum ferritin, hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, body weight, BMI, and waist circumference (p<0.001 for all). Fasting glucose levels decreased, and first-hour glucose at 75g OGTT increased significantly after treatment. Notably, HOMA-IR decreased significantly (1.46 vs. 1.15, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that after three months of treatment, there was a significant improvement in glucose metabolism as evidenced by the decrease in HOMA-IR scores, despite an increase in weight, BMI, and waist circumference.