Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCohort study

Prognostic Value of Three Iron Deficiency Definitions in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure

Eur J Heart FailPublished

  • Retrospective cohort study
  • single-centre
  • consecutive patients

Authors' conclusion

Iron deficiency, when defined by serum iron concentration or transferrin saturation, was associated with increased frequency of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure. The same association was not seen with guideline definition of ID.

Study context

Population
Patients with advanced HF assessed for heart transplantation, single UK centre, January 2010 to May 2022
Participants
801 patients
Exposure
Three definitions of iron deficiency and prognosis
Outcome
Composite of:
  • All-cause mortality
  • Urgent heart transplantation
  • Need for mechanical circulatory support

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Primary composite outcome, ID vs no ID by definition
Hazard ratio (95% CI)
Serum ironID vs no ID
1.532(1.264–1.944)
Transferrin saturationID vs no ID
1.595(1.323–2.033)
Guideline definitionID vs no ID; no association
1.085(0.8827–1.333)

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Prevalence of iron deficiency (ID)

Prevalence of ID depending on definition
39-55%

Functional and haemodynamic measures

ID by all definitions associated with lower 6-min walk distance, lower peak oxygen consumption, higher intra-cardiac filling pressures and lower cardiac output

Original publication

Prognostic Value of Three Iron Deficiency Definitions in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure. Eur J Heart Fail. Published 27 August 2023. doi:10.1002/ejhf.2949

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it