Effects of i.v. iron therapy in patients with systolic heart failure and iron deficiency

Literature - Jankowska EA, et al. Eur J Heart Fail. 2016 (epub)

Effects of intravenous iron therapy in iron-deficient patients with systolic heart failure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Jankowska EA, Tkaczyszyn M, Suchocki T, et al.
Eur J Heart Fail. 2016;18:786-95; Epub 2016 Jan 28

Background

In patients with stable heart failure (HF), iron deficiency (ID) is a common co-morbidity, occurring in 50% of patients and in ~46% of non-anaemic patients with stable systolic HF[1].
When ID is present, it has been shown that symptoms worsen and exercise capacity and quality of life (QoL) of patients with systolic HF impair [1, 2-4].
Patients with HF and ID have a high mortality and higher urgent hospitalizations due to HF progression [1, 2]. Therefore, treatment of ID in patients with HF is expected to be beneficial.
The effects of intravenous (i.v.) iron therapie in ID patients with HF has been studied in several trials [5-10].
This meta-analysis aimed to summarize the evidence of i.v. iron therapy in ID patients with systolic HF.
An aggregate data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (published up to September 2014) regarding i.v. iron therapy in patients with systolic HF and ID was performed.
Five trials were identified which fulfilled the inclusion criteria (851 patients, 509 received i.v. iron therapy) [5-7, 9, 10].

Main results

Intravenous iron therapy in patients with systolic HF and ID reduced the risk of the combined endpoint of all-cause death or cardiovascular hospitalization [OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.30–0.64, P<0.0001], and the combined endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening HF (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.24–0.63, P=0.0001).
The analysis showed no effect on either all-cause or cardiovascular mortality, which may be due to a low number of reported deaths [n=20 (4%) vs. n=19 (6%) for those treated vs. not treated with i.v. iron] and relatively short follow-up
Intravenous iron therapy resulted in a reduction in NYHA class (data are reported as a mean net effect with 95% CIs for all continuous variables) (−0.54 class, 95% CI −0.87 to −0.21, P=0.001); an increase in 6-min walking test distance (+31 m, 95% CI 18–43, P<0.0001); and an improvement in quality of life [Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) score +5.5 points, 95% CI 2.8–8.3, P<0.0001; European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) score +4.1 points, 95% CI 0.8–7.3, P=0.01; Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) score −19 points, 95% CI:–23 to −16, P<0.0001; and Patient Global Assessment (PGA) +0.70 points, 95% CI 0.31–1.09, P=0.0004].
Results were consistent in both anaemic and non-anaemic patients.

Conclusion

Intravenous iron therapy applied in iron-deficient patients with systolic HF, regardless of concomitant anaemia, improves outcomes, alleviates HF symptoms, and improves exercise capacity and QoL.
This meta-analysis therefore recommends treating these patients with intravenous iron.

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