The established therapy for iron-deficiency today is oral iron supplementation. However, this often leads to side effects such as constipation, black stools, nausea, and abdominal pain. There are some studies that have compared the efficacy of low-dose iron with normal-dose iron. They showed that the side effects are dose-dependent. Furthermore, some studies have shown that the uptake capacity of high-dose iron is less efficient due to the upregulation of hepcidin. In a pilot study with low-dose iron (6mg per tablet), a significant increase in iron was shown, which can be explained by a lower hepcidin release. Therefore, we would like to show the efficacy of the low-dose iron product in a placebo-controlled setting. Furthermore, we would like to show the reduction of side effects, as well as an increase of low blood pressure to normal blood pressure. There will be two groups of women: one group will be given a low-dose iron supplement of two tablets containing each 6mg for 8 weeks, the other one will get two placebo tablet for 8 weeks, accordingly.
The goal of this study is to investigate the efficacy of a low dose iron supplement (6mg) compared to a placebo tablet.