Several domains of healthcare such as radiation oncology, organ allocation, robotic surgery etc. have been revolutionized by AI, for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a software for detecting diabetic retinopathy from diagnostic imagery. Thus, it can be said that the use of AI in healthcare has the potential to support the healthcare providers in many aspects of the patient care and administrative activities. Analyzing the improvements in the AI’s performance, an esteemed cardiologists and researcher Dr. Eric Topol once said that, “The smart integration of AI could help make healthcare more human, not less.”

1. Vitamin C for Iron Supplementation in Adults With
Iron Deficiency Anemia: Efficacy and Safety
Name of Student : Wahaba Barkat
Name of Research Authors: Nianyi Li, MD, PhD,1 Guangjie Zhao, MD,1 Wanling Wu,
MD,1 Mengxue Zhang, MD,1 Weiyang Liu, MD,1 Qinfen Chen, MD,1 and Xiaoqin Wang, MD,
PhD corresponding author1
Data :
Subject :

2. Introduction
• Anemia is caused by an iron deficiency, which is the most common cause of
anemia in the globe. According to a World Health Organization guideline2,
IDA affects 30% of the world's population, showing that it is a serious
problem that has to be addressed. For patients with IDA, oral iron
supplementation is the most common method of restoring iron levels.
Apart from animal tissue, vitamin C is the only food component that has
been shown to aid iron absorption. 6,7,8,9 The duodenum and upper
jejunum are the primary sites of iron absorption. Iron is always oxidized to
the Fe3+ state when ingested orally from its original form. To be dissolved
sufficiently for absorption, it requires an acidic stomach environment.
Vitamin C can make the stomach more acidic, which prevents ferrous iron
from oxidizing into ferric iron.

3. Aim
• We conducted a randomized controlled study (RCT) to see if oral iron
supplements alone were comparable to oral iron supplements with
Vitamin C, and to see if vitamin C, which is commonly used with iron
supplements, can boost iron absorption.

4. Hypotheses
• Null Hypothesis (H0) :
The incidence of Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) among people 18 years or older, receiving 3
months Vitamin C supplements with oral iron tablets is the same as among the ones taking
single iron oral tablets.
• Alternative one-sided hypothesis (HA)
The incidence of Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) among people 18 years or older, receiving
3 months Vitamin C supplements with oral iron tablets is less compared to the one taking
single iron oral tablet

5. Study Design
• Randomized controlled trial was conducted from January 1, 2016, to
December 30, 2017, in Hushan Hospital, Fudan University.
• Adult patients with newly diagnosed IDA were enrolled.
• Follow-up Patients ON and OFF Vitamin C supplements
• Exposure: Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to the oral iron
supplements plus Vitamin C group or the oral iron supplements–only
group.
• End point outcome: Data analysis was performed from March to
December 2018.
• Sample size calculations were performed for the change in hemoglobin
level from baseline using an equivalence design

7. Study Result
• Change in Hemoglobin Level : From baseline to 2-week follow-up, the mean (SD)
change in hemoglobin level was 2.00 (1.08) g/dL in the vitamin C plus iron group and 1.84
(0.97) g/dL in the iron-only group (mean between-group difference, 0.16 g/dL; 95% CI,
−0.03 to 0.35 g/dL). For the primary outcome, the change in hemoglobin level from
baseline to 2-week follow-up was contained within the equivalence margin of 1 g/dL.
• There was no significant difference in hemoglobin level increase between the 2 groups

8. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the change in hemoglobin level at
weeks 4, 6, and 8

9. There were no significant differences between the
2 groups in terms of baseline characteristics.

10. Conclusion
• In patients with IDA, taking oral iron alone was similar to taking oral
iron combined with vitamin C in terms of boosting hemoglobin levels
and iron reserves, according to the findings of this equivalency RCT.
Our findings imply that vitamin C is not required for IDA patients.

11. Thank You Very Much!