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Anemia and heart failure: a community study

Shannon M Dunlay1, Susan A Weston, Margaret M Redfield

  • 1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

The American Journal of Medicine
|August 12, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Anemia affects half of heart failure patients, with prevalence increasing over time. This condition, particularly in preserved ejection fraction heart failure, significantly raises mortality risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hematology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Anemia is a significant comorbidity in heart failure (HF), linked to increased mortality.
  • Understanding anemia prevalence and its impact is crucial for HF management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of anemia in a community HF population.
  • To analyze trends in anemia prevalence over time.
  • To evaluate the role of anemia in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) versus HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective (1979-2002, n=1063) and prospective (2003-2006, n=677) cohorts of Olmsted County residents with HF were analyzed.
  • Clinical characteristics were collected, and anemia was defined using World Health Organization criteria.

Main Results:

  • Anemia prevalence was 40% in the retrospective cohort and 53% in the prospective cohort.
  • Anemia prevalence increased by 16% from 1979-2002 and was higher in HFpEF (58%) versus HFrEF (48%).
  • Anemia significantly increased mortality risk (P<.001), with a J-shaped relationship between hemoglobin levels and mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Approximately half of community heart failure patients are anemic, with rising prevalence.
  • Anemia is more common in HFpEF and is a strong predictor of increased mortality in HF patients.
Abstract

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