Crick
HomeTrialsGenesDrugs23andMeGraphBlogContact
  • Home
  • Trials
  • Genes
  • Drugs
  • 23andMe
  • Graph
  • Blog
  • Contact
Crick

An open-source clinical intelligence platform. Explore clinical trials, gene networks, and molecular structures using public data sources.

Data Sources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov
  • OpenTargets
  • ClinVar
  • PubChem

Links

  • Contact
  • About
  • Privacy

© 2026 Crick. All rights reserved.

Crick is for educational purposes only. Not medical advice.

Iron Absorption and Variations of Iron Status, Hepcidin, Inflammation and Sex Hormones During the Menstrual Cycle

N/ACompletedNCT05580783
Isabelle Herter-Aeberli10 enrolled

Overview

Iron supplementation is the first line of treatment of iron deficiency in most women, but we do not know when the best time is to supplement in the context of the menstrual cycle. With this study, we aim to measure and compare iron status, hepcidin, inflammatory markers, hormones estrogen and progesterone and changes in iron absorption at various points throughout the menstrual cycle, with a long-term view to determine best time for iron supplementation in relation to the menstrual cycle.

To date, very few studies have assessed iron absorption in relation to a woman's menstrual cycle. Although oral iron supplementation is considered the first line of treatment for iron deficiency in most women, there is no knowledge on the relationship between this intervention in the context of the menstrual cycle, and more specifically there is no knowledge on its potential implications for the most appropriate timing of iron supplementation. A better understanding of iron absorption during the menstrual cycle as well as kinetics of key parameters could allow the design of adapted and/or new interventions (e.g., timing of iron supplementation in relation to different phases of the menstrual cycle) to mitigate iron deficiency in menstruating women and can inform programs aimed at addressing iron deficiency

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

10

Conditions

Iron-deficiency

Interventions

Test meal labelled with 54FeOTHER

Each participant will receive 2 test meals containing 4mg each of isotopic tracer 54Fe

Test meal labelled with 57FeOTHER

Each participant will receive 2 test meals containing 4mg each of isotopic tracer 57Fe

Test meal labelled with 58FeOTHER

Each participant will receive 2 test meals containing 4mg each of isotopic tracer 58Fe

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 30 YearsHealthy volunteers:
Medical Language ↔ Plain English
Inclusion Criteria: * Female, 18-30 years old * Weight \<70 kg * Normal body mass index (18.5 - 25kg/m2) * Regular menstrual cycle (self-reported cycle length between 28 and 35 days in the past 6 months) * Depleted iron stores (serum ferritin ≤ 30 µg/L) * Signed informed consent * Able to read and understand English Exclusion Criteria: * Use of hormonal contraceptives within a 3-month recall period * Anemia (hemoglobin \< 117 g/L) * Any known major metabolic, gastrointestinal, kidney or chronic disease such as diabetes, renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, hepatitis, hypertension, cancer, or cardiovascular diseases (according to the participants own statement) * Women with severe menstrual cramps that would prevent them from attending study meetings during menstruation (judged by the women) * Consumption of iron-containing supplements within 1 month prior to the start of study * Known difficulties with blood sampling * Pregnancy (serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) \< 5 mIU/mL) * Current smoking (\>1 cigarette per week over a 1-month recall period) * Women who are planning to get pregnant within the study period, as this would affect iron metabolism and subsequent study measurements. * Inability to follow the study protocol

Locations (1)

ETH Zurich

Zurich, Switzerland

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Fractional iron absorption (%)

Fractional iron absorption will be calculated based on the shift of the iron isotope ratios in the collected blood samples after the administration of the labelled test meals.

Time frame: Day 2, 18, 22, 26 and 40

Secondary Outcomes

Hemoglobin concentration (g/L)

Haemoglobin will be measured to determine presence of anaemia

Time frame: Screening, day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 40

Serum ferritin (microg/L)

Iron status parameter

Time frame: Screening, day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Serum transferrin receptor (mg/L)

Iron status parameter

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Serum iron (microg/mL)

Iron status parameter

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Serum hepcidin (nmol/L)

Hepcidin, a major regulator of iron absorption and influenced by inflammation, will be measured

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (g/L)

Chronic inflammation parameter

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

C-reactive protein (mg/L)

Acute inflammation parameter

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Serum estradiol (pg/mL)

Hormonal parameter

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Serum progesterone (ng/mL)

Hormonal parameter

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Total iron binding capacity (microg/mL)

Total iron binding capacity will be measured to determine the presence of iron deficiency

Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

Menstrual blood volume loss/cycle

Semi-quantitative assessment to measure menstrual blood loss per cycle

Time frame: Menstruation

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.