Iron deficiency in heart failure: getting to the guidelines.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Iron deficiency is a common condition affecting approximately 50% of patients with heart failure. The purpose of this review is to explore the impact of iron deficiency on patients' quality of life and outcomes. Moreover, how intravenous replacement, even in the absence of anemia, can improve these outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS: The role of iron deficiency anemia has long been a part of assessing reversible and treatable contributors to patients' symptoms in heart failure. Recent studies have demonstrated how vital identifying not only anemic patients but those who are iron deficient without anemia, may allow us to impact their quality of life by several different measures. The latter appears to be the case not only for reduced ejection fraction but also impacts patients with preserved ejection fraction who have very few other modalities which improve symptoms.

SUMMARY: Iron deficiency in heart failure is common, and with improvements in diagnosis and management, it has led to a better understanding of the importance of iron deficiency in cardiac failure and function.