Systemic iron reduction by venesection alters the gut microbiome in patients with haemochromatosis.

Parmanand B,Watson M,Boland KJ,Ramamurthy N,Wharton V,Morovat A,Lund EK,Collier J,Le Gall,Kellingray L,Fairweather-Tait S,Cobbold JF,Narbad A,Ryan JD. (2020)

JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology

Iron reduction by venesection has been the cornerstone of treatment for haemochromatosis for decades, and its reported health benefits are many. Repeated phlebotomy can lead to a compensatory increase in intestinal iron absorption, reducing intestinal iron availability. Given that most gut bacteria are highly dependent on iron for survival, we postulated that, by reducing gut iron levels, venesection could alter the gut microbiota.

JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology

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