The Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Atrial Fibrillation: Low Hanging Fruit?

Bachar Alabdullah1, David Ferreira2, Erin Bourke1

  • 1Cardiology Department, Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital, Dean Street, North Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia.

Insights

Iron deficiency is common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), affecting over 60%. This highlights a potential link between low iron levels and AF, suggesting further research is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia globally.
  • The connection between AF and iron deficiency remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of iron deficiency in patients diagnosed with AF.

Main Methods:

  • An observational study was conducted.
  • Iron deficiency was identified using the American College of Cardiology (ACC) criteria for heart failure.

Main Results:

  • Out of 134 participants, 81 (60.4%) exhibited iron deficiency.
  • Iron deficiency correlated with female sex, diabetes, stroke history, and higher CHA2DS2-VASc and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores.

Conclusions:

  • A significant prevalence of iron deficiency was observed in the AF population.
  • These findings suggest that iron deficiency screening may be warranted in AF patients.

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