Venesection is an effective non-pharmacological treatment for patients with high serum ferritin type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Aims/Hypothesis: Previous studies have associated serum ferritin levels with type 2 diabetes, so it's well recognised that there is a subset of patients with type 2 diabetes and also with elevated serum ferritin. The aim of this pilot study was to test whether venesection is a viable treatment option for patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Four cases with elevated serum ferritin and type 2 diabetes were subjected to monthly venesection for 3–9 months, and monitored 3 monthly for serum ferritin and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Results: In all four cases, serum ferritin was dramatically reduced, and the HbA1c was reduced in all but one case, which was a diet-only controlled patient with diabetes and had near normal HbA1c. In two cases, HbA1c was reduced by 2–3% units (22–33 mmol/mol), making it superior to any current medication. Conclusions/Interpretation: Venesection was used here successfully with oral pharmacotherapy, thereby avoiding the use of insulin. Findings of this study may provide clinicians a powerful new tool to intervene in the pathological process of type 2 diabetes by a very simple manoeuvre - venesection. These results need to be repeated and validated in a larger trial as a priority.