The safety of modern intravenous iron infusions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis–a review of the literature

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the evidence for the safety of intravenous iron infusions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in June 2019 on PubMed and Cochrane databases for eligible studies. Results: There is significant evidence of safety and efficacy of intravenous iron in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using newer, less immunogenic iron preparations, such as iron sucrose and low molecular weight iron dextran preparations. Discussion: Iron deficiency anaemia has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but the use of intravenous iron is generally avoided due to concerns raisedin older studies using high molecular weight iron dextran of exacerbating the disease. However, such concerns have not been confirmed in more recent studies using newer preparations. Conclusion: We find significant evidence of safety and efficacy in more recent studies of larger cohorts of patients using newer, less immunogenic iron preparations.