Management of inflammatory bowel disease-related anemia and iron deficiency with specific reference to the role of intravenous iron in current practice.

Anemia is a common extraintestinal manifestation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, impacting disease prognosis, morbidity, hospitalization rates and time lost from work. While iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic inflammation predominate, combinations of hematimetric and biochemical markers facilitate the diagnosis and targeted therapy of other etiologies according to their underlying pathophysiological causes. Intravenous iron replacement is currently recommended in IBD patients with moderate to severe anemia or intolerance to oral iron.

Current evaluation and management of anemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Anemia is a common extraintestinal manifestation in IBD patients and considerably impacts disease prognosis, hospitalization rates and time lost from work. While iron deficiency anemia is predominant, combinations of hematimetric and biochemical markers enable detection and targeted therapy of other etiologies including vitamin B12/folic acid deficiencies, hemolysis, myelosuppression and pharmacotherapies. Areas covered: Current literature was searched for articles focusing on etiology, diagnostics and therapy of anemia in IBD.