What is the clinical significance of the oral iron absorption test for the elderly?

Abstract

The small dose oral iron absorption test is a potentially useful test in clinical practice and it may be helpful for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia and the differential diagnosis with the anaemia of chronic disease. Clinical studies to date have been small and have insufficiently addressed the influence of different nutritional substances and drugs on the iron absorption and the differentiation of those iron deficient patients who would benefit from parenteral iron treatment at the onset because of oral iron malabsorption. There is a need for well-designed studies to re-evaluate its clinical significance.