Iron deficiency should not be accepted in patients with inflammatory bowel disease - a Scandinavian expert opinion

In this paper, we aim to explain the reason why iron deficiency (ID) is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), how to better apply diagnostic tools to uncover the state of ID as well as how to interpret the results, and not least, how to treat ID in this group of patients.

This article is an expert review and opinion paper on a topic that is too often forgotten in clinical practice. We have not performed a systematic review, but we present the most important research allocated to the topic to substantiate an expert opinion.

This position paper summarises the pathophysiology of ID and gives recommendations on the monitoring and treatment of ID in IBD. ID with or without concurrent anaemia (IDA) is the most common systemic complication in patients with IBD, related to both disease activity and severity. It has consequences both for health-related quality of life and future course of disease of the IBD patient. Intravenous iron is an efficacious and well tolerated, but still underused, therapy for ID and IDA. Iron deficiency should be treated before symptoms of anaemia appear and quality of life is impacted. However, there is still limited awareness of how to detect and treat ID in clinical practice. Uncertainty regarding which diagnostic tests to use and how to interpret the results may also be responsible for variations in clinical practice. In addition, opinions on how to correct ID and IDA differ, in relation to both clinical efficacy and safety.

The consequences of ID in patients with IBD are significant. Guidelines on diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of ID should be implemented. IDA is a manifestation of severe ID and preventive strategies focusing on efficient treatment of ID regardless of the level of haemoglobin should therefore be explored.