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Iron deficiency in new onset heart failure: association with clinical factors and quality of life. ESC heart failure AIMS:The prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) in newly diagnosed heart failure (HF) and the progression of ID in patients after initiation of HF therapy are unknown. We aimed to describe the natural trajectory of ID in patients with new onset HF during the first year after HF diagnosis, assessing associations between ID, clinical factors, and quality of life (QoL). METHODS AND RESULTS:A prospective cohort of patients with new onset HF in hospitals or outpatient clinics at five major hospitals in Stockholm, Sweden, during 2015-2018 were analysed with clinical assessment, electrocardiogram, blood samples including iron levels, Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (MLHFQ), and echocardiogram at baseline and after 12 months. Of 547 patients with new-onset HF, 482 (88%) had complete iron data at baseline. Mean age was 70 years (interquartile range 61-77) and 311 (65%) were men; 55% of patients had ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 40%, 19% had EF 41-49%, and 26% had HF with preserved EF (HFpEF). At baseline, 163 patients (34%) had ID defined as ferritin <100 μg/L or ferritin 100-299 μg/L and transferrin saturation <20%. After 12 months of follow-up, 119 (32%) had ID of the 368 patients who had complete iron data both at baseline and after 12 months and did not receive intravenous (i.v.) iron during follow-up. During the first year after HF diagnosis, 19% had persistent ID, 13% developed ID, 11% resolved ID, and 57% never had ID, consequently 24% changed their classification. Anaemia at baseline was the strongest independent predictor of ID 1 year after diagnosis [odds ratio (OR) 3.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88-8.13, P < 0.001], followed by HF hospitalization (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.24-3.95, P < 0.01), female sex (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.25-3.32, P < 0.01), HFpEF (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.13-3.39, P < 0.05), and diabetes mellitus (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.06-3.48, P < 0.05). ID was associated with low QoL at baseline (MLHFQ score mean difference 7.4 points, 95% CI 3.1-11.7, P < 0.001), but not at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS:About one third of patients with new onset HF had ID both at the time of HF diagnosis and after 1 year, though a quarter of the patients changed their ID status. Patients with anaemia, HF hospitalization, female gender, HFpEF, or diabetes mellitus at baseline were more likely to have ID after 1 year implying that these should be carefully screened for ID to find those in need of i.v. iron treatment. 10.1002/ehf2.14849
Intravenous iron therapy for heart failure and iron deficiency: An updated meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. ESC heart failure Heart failure (HF) patients frequently exhibit iron deficiency, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Although various trials have been conducted, it is uncertain if intravenous (IV) iron replenishment improves clinical outcomes in HF patients with iron deficiency. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception till 15 September 2023 to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared IV iron therapy with placebo or standard of care in patients with HF and iron deficiency. Clinical outcomes were assessed by generating forest plots using the random-effects model and pooling odds ratios (ORs) or weighted mean differences (WMDs). Fourteen RCTs with 6651 patients were included. IV iron therapy showed a significantly reduced incidence of the composite of first heart failure hospitalization (HHF) or cardiovascular (CV) mortality as compared with the control group (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.92). The IV iron therapy resulted in a trend towards lower CV mortality (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.01), 1-year all-cause mortality (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.02), and first HHF (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.51 to 1.05), and an improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (MD = 4.54, 95% CI: -0.13 to 9.21). Meta-regression showed a significant inverse moderating effect of baseline LVEF on the first HHF or CV death. In patients with HF and iron deficiency, IV iron therapy reduced the incidence of composite of first HHF or CV mortality. There was a trend of lower overall CV and 1-year all-cause mortality, first HHF, and improved LVEF with IV iron therapy. 10.1002/ehf2.14905