Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Prognostic Value of Three Iron Deficiency Definitions in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure
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
Methodological detailssingle-centre, consecutive patients
- Single-centre
- Consecutive patients
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.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it