IV iron dextran is most cost-effective, yielding 19.26 QALYs compared with 19.10 QALYs for oral ferrous sulfate<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
TUESDAY, Jan. 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Intravenous (IV) iron dextran is the most cost-effective strategy for managing iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in women with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Blood Advances<\/em>.<\/p>\n Daniel Wang, from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues examined the reproductive lifetime cost-effectiveness of first-line IV versus oral iron therapy for women with HMB and IDA. A Markov model was developed to simulate a cohort of women aged 18 to 51 years comparing first-line treatment with IV iron dextran, IV ferumoxytol, IV iron sucrose, or oral ferrous sulfate.<\/p>\n The researchers found that IV iron dextran was the most cost-effective treatment, yielding 19.26 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at a cost of $157,500 versus 19.10 QALYs costing $152,900 for oral ferrous sulfate. For IV iron dextran, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $28,600 per QALY. The costs of treatment with IV ferumoxytol and iron sucrose were $158,300 and $163,500, respectively, with no additional QALY benefit versus IV iron dextran. Across a range of sensitivity analyses and scenarios, IV iron dextran remained the most cost-effective treatment.<\/p>\n “Oral iron is usually given as first-line treatment because on the surface, it appears less expensive and more convenient,” Wang said in a statement. “However, we found that the preferred first-line treatment for these patients is IV iron as it delivers the highest value for cost and substantially improves quality of life.”<\/p>\n One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n