Study shows that removing iron is not effective for peripheral arterial disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Reduction of iron levels in the body does not appear to improve the outlook in peripheral arterial disease.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is caused by partial or total blockage of an artery in the arm or leg which can cause pain and difficulty in walking. It has been linked to the presence of excess iron in the circulation which is supposedly the cause of oxidative stress. Excess iron has also been associated with heart disease.

Researchers at the Veterans Association Medical Center in White River Junction Vermont have accordingly tested the idea that removing excess iron might improve outcomes in PAD. They did this by removing an amount of blood that reduced iron stores without causing anemia in a process called phlebotomy. In a group of patients with PAD, 636 had phlebotomy every six months while 641 acted as controls. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to death rates from all causes or death plus heart attack and stroke rates. There were, however, some improvements in outcomes for certain sub-groups - namely, those without diabetes, younger patients and smokers. Therefore, iron removal should only be considered for certain patients with PAD.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 14th February 2007 Volume 297 pages 603-610