# The effect of Guipiheji (Guipi Mixture) combined with ferrous succinate tablets on improving iron deficiency anemia

## TL;DR

This study shows that combining a traditional Chinese herbal mixture with iron supplements improves iron deficiency anemia more effectively than iron supplements alone.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is demonstrating the added benefit of Guipiheji when combined with ferrous succinate for treating iron deficiency anemia.

## Key findings

- The observation group showed significantly higher improvements in hemoglobin, hematocrit, and iron saturation compared to the control group.
- The effective rate of treatment was higher in the group receiving Guipiheji plus ferrous succinate.
- TIBC levels decreased more in the observation group post-treatment.

## Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Guipiheji (Guipi Mixture) combined with ferrous succinate tablets on improving iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 80 IDA patients admitted to Gongshu District People’s Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from November 2024 to May 2025. Participants were assigned to an observation group (n = 40, Guipi Mixture plus ferrous succinate) or a control group (n = 40, ferrous succinate alone). Pre- and post-treatment levels of hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), serum iron (SI), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and iron saturation were compared between groups. Symptom relief and adverse reactions post-treatment were also evaluated.

After treatment, levels of Hb, HCT, RBC, MCV, SI, iron saturation, and CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells were significantly elevated in both groups post-treatment, with the observation group showing higher values than the control group (P < 0.05); TIBC levels decreased in both groups post-treatment, with the observation group exhibiting significantly lower values than the control group (P < 0.05). The effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the severity of anemia (OR = 3.595, 95%CI: 1.139–11.350, P = 0.029) and pre-treatment hemoglobin level (OR = 0.933, 95%CI: 0.874–0.996, P = 0.037) were significantly associated with treatment response. After adjusting for variables with P < 0.10 in the univariate analysis (anemia severity, pre-treatment Hb, pre-treatment MCV) by incorporating them into a multivariate logistic regression model, none of the variables showed independent predictive value (P > 0.05).

These results provide preliminary evidence that adding Guipiheji (Guipi Mixture) to ferrous succinate tablets is more effective in treating IDA. However, our study has some limitations. Specifically, we did not control for important confounding factors (including the severity of anemia, comorbidities, inflammation, concurrent medication use, menstrual blood loss, gastrointestinal malabsorption, renal function, and socioeconomic variables). Additionally, dietary intake, which may affect iron absorption and hematological outcomes, was not regulated in the research.