Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025
Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024
Iron Deficiency Among Hospitalized Patients With Congestive Heart Failure
Insights
Treatment adherence for iron deficiency in congestive heart failure patients improved over time. However, women with iron deficiency and heart failure remain undertreated, highlighting a persistent disparity in care.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Intravenous (IV) iron is effective for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID).
- Understanding treatment adherence for ID in CHF patients, especially understudied high-risk groups, is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess adherence to IV iron treatment for ID in a CHF population.
- To investigate potential disparities in treatment patterns, including by sex.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of hospitalized patients with CHF and ID (January 2012 - July 2021).
- Patients divided into 'early' and 'late' eras based on treatment pattern changes.
- Analysis compared IV iron administration rates between sexes and time periods.
Main Results:
- IV iron administration increased from 7.0% in the early era to 20.9% in the late era.
- Female patients with ID were significantly less likely to receive IV iron than male patients (adjusted odds ratio 0.72).
Conclusions:
- Treatment adherence for ID in hospitalized CHF patients has improved but remains suboptimal.
- Persistent undertreatment in female patients with CHF and ID requires further investigation to address disparities.
Introduction:
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of intravenous (IV) iron when administered to patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID). We aimed to better understand the adherence of treatment for ID among a population with CHF, with particular interest in high-risk groups not often studied due to inadequate recruitment.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review at our institution was conducted from January 1, 2012, to July 7, 2021. Analysis included hospitalized patients with CHF and ID and dividing these patients into two time periods based on changes in iron treatment patterns and treatment between sexes.
Results:
Four thousand eight hundred thirteen patients were included in this study. During the "early era," 7.0% of patients with CHF and ID received IV iron compared with 20.9% of "late-era" patients. Female patients with ID were statistically less likely to receive IV iron when compared with male patients, both unadjusted (0.66, confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.79, p < .0001) and adjusted (0.72, CI 0.59-0.87, p < .0001) for covariates.
Conclusion:
This study illustrates improved adherence to treatment for ID among hospitalized population with CHF and ID over time but persistent undertreatment remains. Future studies will need to identify the barriers to treating female patients with CHF and ID to reduce these disparities.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Imbalances in Cardiac Output
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send...
01:17Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
01:22Heart Failure Drugs: Diuretics
01:26Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
01:26Heart Failure Drugs: Inotropic Agents
01:11Renal Failure: Dose Adjustments
Reduced renal clearance and elimination rate are common outcomes of renal impairment. These alterations lead to a prolonged elimination half-life and an altered apparent volume of distribution for drugs. As a result, dosage adjustments are typically necessary to maintain optimal drug levels in the body.
However, dosage adjustments...