Benefits of Iron Reduction

A very large amount of research literature has implicated iron excess in disease. This section summarizes recent articles that have shown health benefits of deliberate (therapeutic) iron reduction. A summary of the results of the randomized trial of iron reduction in patients with advanced vascular disease (the FeAST study) is presented elsewhere on this web site. Click the disease below to obtain more information.

Click each title below for more information.

Liver Cancer
Patients with hepatitis are predisposed to liver cancer. These authors followed two groups of hepatitis patients for over a decade and compared risk of developing liver cancer. One group had iron reduction by blood drawing and low iron diet while the other group did not. Development of liver cancer was significantly reduced in the group with lower iron.

Diabetes
In a randomized trial in patients with type II diabetes, iron restriction led to a statistically significant improvement in survival and in preservation of kidney function. Other studies have shown improved diabetes control with iron reduction.

Gout
Iron increases the inflammation due to uric acid crystals in gout. Iron reduction in 12 patients with severe gout led to total remission or marked reduction of gouty attacks in these patients.

Fatty liver disease
Improved liver function was observed in a group of patients with non-alcoholic liver disease treated with dietary restriction of iron, calories and fat. A second study showed a marked improvement in abnormal liver function in a group of patients having iron reduction by blood drawing without weight reduction.

Hepatitis
Combined analysis of six randomized clinical trials showed that iron reduction improved the beneficial effects of interferon treatment in patients with hepatitis.

Alzheimer's Disease
The role of iron accumulation in the brain has been the subject of much study. A two-year randomized single-blind clinical trial of a drug that binds and excretes iron showed significant slowing of dementia progression with iron reduction therapy.