Iron Status in Patients With Chronic Left Ventricular Systolic Failure

Heart failure is one of the most important public health problems with an increasing prevalence and identifying its contributing factors is imperative. This study was conducted to evaluate the iron status in patients with chronic systolic heart failure in Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbas.

A total of 80 patients with chronic left ventricular failure participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a researcher developed checklist containing demographic details and echocardiographic data (left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF%). Additionally, the frequency and distribution of iron status were measured in the research population.

The results showed that the prevalence of anemia was significantly high in patients with chronic heart failure (77.3%). The prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) was 77.33% based on iron level (<60 μg/dL), and it was 82.66% based on the mean ferritin level (ferritin<100, or ferritin of 100 to 299 ng/mL, and transferrin saturation<20%). The prevalence of total iron binding capacity (TIBC)>360 μg/dL was 26.66%, and the prevalence of mean corpuscular volume (MCV)<80 fL was 60%. Age less than 60 years, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 60, and body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 were also found to increase the risk of anemia in these patients.

Our study showed that the prevalence of anemia was significantly high in patients with chronic heart failure. Due to the high prevalence of anemia in patients with chronic systolic heart failure and the impact of anemia on the prognosis of the disease in these patients, effective treatment is necessary in high-risk patients to reduce the severity of their disease, compensate for their heart failure, and reduce their mortality.