Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Abstract

Prevalence and Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Mansour Rafie, Hooman Rahmani, Mahmood Sadr, Mohammad Forat, Zahra Behnamfar, Mohammad Hossein Ahmadieh and Reza Rafie

Objective: Approximately 30% of patients with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) develop anemia. Previous studies showed the beneficial effect of treating the underlying anemia in CHF patients but controversy on the subject remains. We studied the prevalence and treatment of underlying anemia in patients with CHF. Methods and Results: Patients were categorized into three groups: normal hemoglobin levels, anemia of chronic disease; and iron deficiency anemia (IDA). All patients were treated for heart failure. Patients with IDA were treated with iron sulfate. We compared the ejection fractions (EF) and functional capacities both before and after treatment. The prevalence of IDA in our patients was 10.7% and 25.7% of patients had anemia of chronic disease. The mortality rate in the anemic group was 4.9 times higher than the mortality rate in the normal hemoglobin group. Following treatment, there was a significant increase in hemoglobin levels that was more prominent in the IDA group. EF increased in all groups following treatment, but the increase was greatest in the IDA group. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the improved quality of life that results from treating IDA as part of CHF patient management. Early diagnosis and treatment of anemia can improve EF in patients with CHF.