Effect of Weight Loss on Hepcidin Levels and Iron Status in Subjects With Obesity.

April 16, 2026 updated by: Martha Guevara Cruz, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran
Obesity and iron deficiency are the nutritional disorders with the highest prevalence worldwide. Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain iron deficiency secondary to obesity. Among the most studied is the deficit in dietary iron intake or the increase in blood volume that increases the need for the metal. However, one of the most plausible mechanisms linking obesity and iron deficiency is low-grade systemic inflammation, through the iron metabolism intermediate known as hepcidin. The investigators objective is to evaluate the effect of weight loss by caloric restriction on hepcidin and serum iron concentration in people living with obesity and iron deficiency. The study will be divided into two phases: Phase 1: A cross-sectional study (cases and controls) to compare hepcidin levels, iron status and inflammatory markers in people living with and without obesity. The second phase consists of an open-label randomized controlled clinical trial. Individuals living with obesity who are iron deficient will be recruited and randomized to one of 2 dietary intervention groups with 60-day follow-up. The intervention groups will be: diet with caloric restriction rich in protein (with red meat) and diet with caloric restriction rich in protein (without red meat). Hepcidin levels, iron status and inflammatory markers will be determined at the beginning and end of the intervention. The nutritional intervention will have the following distribution of macronutrients in the diet: protein 1.5 g/kg of ideal weight, 50% carbohydrates and 25-30% fats.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The study will consist of two phases: Phase 1, which will be cross-sectional, and Phase 2, which will involve a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Phase 1: Cross-Sectional Study A cross-sectional study will be conducted to compare hepcidin levels, iron status and inflammatory markers in people living with and without obesity. Upon obtaining signed consent, participants will undergo a medical history assessment, anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference), body composition analysis (% body fat, % skeletal muscle mass, % fat-free mass), and blood samples will be collected to determine serum hepcidin levels, iron status, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, lipopolysaccharides), and oxidative stress markers (MDA).

Additional blood samples will be taken for biochemical tests (glucose, lipid profile, creatinine, urea, liver function tests), insulin, leptin, adiponectin, and, optionally, DNA isolation for polymorphisms determination and those associated with iron metabolism and obesity. Participants will also complete a food frequency questionnaire (SNUT).

Phase 2: Open randomized controlled clinical trial This phase will be conducted to assess the impact of weight loss on hepcidin levels, iron status, and inflammatory markers in individuals living with obesity. Participants recruited for this phase will be selected from those identified in the first phase who exhibit iron deficiency (serum iron < 50 mcg/dL).

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two dietary intervention groups, both of which will undergo a 60-day follow-up period with a calorie-restricted diet, reducing caloric intake by less than 25% of the resting energy expenditure determined by indirect calorimetry. The intervention groups will be as follows:

  • Calorie-restricted diet with macronutrient distribution: 1.5 g/kg of ideal body weight in protein (including red meat), 50% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fats.
  • Calorie-restricted diet with macronutrient distribution: 1.5 g/kg of ideal body weight in protein (excluding red meat), 50% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fats.

Additionally, all participants will receive ferrous sulfate 200mg every 48 hours for three months to correct iron-deficiency anemia.

During the initial and final visits, participants will undergo a 24-hour dietary recall, complete a physical activity questionnaire, and fill out a quality-of-life questionnaire. Additionally, anthropometric measurements and body composition analysis will be conducted. Blood samples will be collected to determine various biochemical parameters in the blood, including lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides), liver function tests, glucose, insulin, creatinine, urea, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and lipopolysaccharides), and iron status markers. Furthermore, stool samples will be collected to analyze the composition of the intestinal microbiota and metabolomics.

To assess treatment adherence, participants will be provided with a food logs to record their daily food consumption during the initial visit. The participants will also receive a pantry containing protein-rich foods every week to facilitate the nutritional intervention. Also, 2 phone calls will be made each week to evaluate adherence to treatment. The adherence will be determined with the % of adherence to the dietary treatment as obtained in the analysis of the food logs.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

42

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Mexico
      • México, Mexico
        • Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Phase 1

  • Signing of the informed consent form
  • Both sexes
  • Adults over 18 years of age
  • BMI of 18.5 and under 40 kg/m2

Phase 2

  • Both sexes
  • Adults older than 18 years
  • People with obesity (BMI of 30 to 40 kg/m2) and serum iron < 50 micrograms/dL.
  • Total cholesterol less than 240 mg/dL (with the diet plan 20% decrease).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any type of diabetes.
  • Patients with renal disease diagnosed by a physician.
  • Patients with acquired diseases that secondarily produce obesity and diabetes.
  • Patients who have suffered a cardiovascular event.
  • Weight loss > 3 kg in the last 3 months.
  • Patients with catabolic diseases such as cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
  • Pregnancy.

  • Treatment with any drug treatment:

    1. Treatment with antihypertensive drugs (loop or potassium-sparing diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), angiotensin II receptor blockers, alpha blockers, calcium antagonists, beta blockers).
    2. Treatment with hypoglycemic agents (sulfonylureas, biguanides, incretins) or insulin and antidiabetics.
    3. Treatment with statins, fibrates or other drugs to control dyslipidemia.
    4. Use of steroid drugs, chemotherapy, immunosuppressants or radiotherapy.
    5. Anorectics or drugs that accelerate weight loss.
    6. Any drug or medication that activates intestinal motility (cisapride, dimethicone, domperidone, metoclopramide, trimebutine).
    7. Laxatives or antispasmodics 4 weeks prior to the study h) Antibiotic treatment 2 months prior to the study.
  • Patients who have suffered a blood loss of more than 500 ml or recent gastrointestinal tract perforation.
  • Patients with a smoking index greater than 21.
  • Consumption of large amounts of alcohol (14 drinks for women or 21 drinks for men in a normal week).
  • Consumption of any recreational psychoactive substance.
  • Treatment with any medication that influences inflammation or iron metabolism (proton pump inhibitors, antacids, bisphosphonates, bile acid or calcium sequestrants).
  • Patients who are vegetarians
  • Allergy or intolerance to any food mentioned in the proposed pantry such as egg, dairy, fish, tuna, chicken, beans, lima beans and/or lentils.
  • Unwillingness to consume any of the foods listed in the proposed pantry.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Red meat diet
Calorie-restricted diet with macronutrient distribution: 1.5 g/kg of ideal body weight in protein (including red meat), 50% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fats.
Other: Calorie-restricted diet with red meat
Calorie-restricted diet with macronutrient distribution: 1.5 g/kg of ideal body weight in protein (including red meat), 50% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fats.
Active Comparator: Red meat free diet
Calorie-restricted diet with macronutrient distribution: 1.5 g/kg of ideal body weight in protein (excluding red meat), 50% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fats
Other: Calorie-restricted diet without red meat
Calorie-restricted diet with macronutrient distribution: 1.5 g/kg of ideal body weight in protein (excluding red meat), 50% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fats

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Serum hepcidin concentration in mcg/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in serum hepcidin concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum iron concentration in mcg/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in serum iron concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Serum ferritin concentration in ng/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in serum ferritin concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum iron binding capacity concentration in mcg/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in serum iron binding capacity concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Blood reticulocytes percentage
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in blood reticulocytes percentage between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum soluble transferrin receptor concentration in mg/L.
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in serum soluble transferrin receptor concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Blood haemoglobin concentration in g/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in blood haemoglobin concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum C-reactive protein concentration in g/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in C-reactive protein concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum leptin concentration in ng/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in leptin concentration in the serum determined by ELISA kit between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum interleukin 6 concentration in pg/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in interleukin-6 concentration determined by ELISA kit between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum lipopolysaccharides concentration in ng/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in lipopolysaccharides concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Plasma malondialdehyde concentration in nmol/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in malondialdehyde concentration by spectrophotometry between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Plasma trolox equivalents concentration in umols/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in trolox equivalents concentration between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Changes in faecal microbiota composition
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
The change in faecal microbiota composition shall be measured by 16 ribosome sequencing at baseline and at 2 months. The relative change of each bacterial taxon shall be calculated on the basis of the abundance of the given bacteria at baseline to 2 months between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum total cholesterol concentration in mg/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in total cholesterol concentration determined by autoanalyzer between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum LDL cholesterol concentration in mg/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in LDL-cholesterol concentration determined by autoanalyzer between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum triglycerides concentration in mg/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in triglycerides concentration determined by autoanalyzer between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum aspartate aminotransferase concentration in IU/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in aspartate aminotransferase concentration determined by autoanalyzer between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum alanine aminotransferase concentration in IU/mL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in alanine aminotransferase concentration determined by autoanalyzer between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Serum glucose concentration in mg/dL
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in serum glucose concentration determined by autoanalyzer between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Body weight in kilograms
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in body weight between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Fat mass percentage
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in fat mass percentage determined by multifrequency electrical bioimpedance between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Waist circumference in centimeters
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in waist circumference between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Lean mass percentage
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in fat mass percentage determined by multifrequency electrical bioimpedance between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Skeletal muscle mass percentage
Time Frame: Baseline to 2 months of intervention
Change in fat mass percentage determined by multifrequency electrical bioimpedance between different nutritional interventions in subjects with obesity and iron deficiency
Baseline to 2 months of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Martha Guevara-Cruz, MD, PhD, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 8, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 30, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

January 24, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 18, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 23, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

October 27, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 21, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 16, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • FNU-4686-23-24-1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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