Heart failure: absolute iron deficiency associated with 1-year mortality risk

Takeaway

• Absolute iron deficiency (ID) at discharge was found to be significantly associated with increased risk for 1-year mortality or heart failure (HF) admission in hospitalised patients with HF.
• In contrast, functional ID had no significant prognostic value.

Why this matters

• The role of ID is well recognized in chronic HF; however, its prognostic value in hospitalised patients with HF is unclear.

Study design

• Observational, prospective cohort study of 578 patients (absolute ID, n=185; functional ID, n=88; no ID, n=305) with HHF from the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Acute Decompensated Heart Failure registry.
• Funding: Japan Cardiovascular Research Foundation; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Key results

• Overall mortality at 1 year after discharge was seen in 64 patients, and 112 patients were readmitted with HF.
• Absolute ID at discharge was associated with significantly higher all-cause mortality and HF admission at 1 year (P=.021).
• In multivariate Cox regression analyses, absolute ID was found to be significantly associated with increased risk for adverse events at 1 year (HR, 1.50; P=.040).

Limitations

• Single-centre study.
• Insufficient sample size in the ID group.