The Effect of Lactoferrin Supplementation on Iron level and Haematological Parameters after Sleeve Gastrectomy

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of obesity is increasing every year, becoming a pandemic. Iron deficiency (ID) is particularly frequent in obese patients due to increased circulating levels of acute-phase reactant hepcidin and adiposity-associated inflammation. Among the treatment options for obesity and obesity-related complications, bariatric surgery procedures are evaluated as the most ffective treatment for severe obesity, and the number of surgery cases follows an increasing trend recently. Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) is a procedure suggested for obese individuals, as a result of lower mortality and morbidity rate compared to other bariatric surgery procedures such as biliopancreatic diversion and gastric by-pass surgery. In the SG, the 60 to 80% of the stomach is removed, leaving the stomach in a tubular shape, thus limiting the intake of excess food and increasing satiety, resulting in rapid weight loss. Besides, most of the patients experience resolution or improvement of comorbidities after the procedur. Iron, an essential element for cell growth and proliferation, is a component of fundamental processes such as DNA replication and energy production. However, it can also be toxic when present in excess for its capacity to donate electrons to oxygen, thus causing the