Iron Deficiency in Acute Coronary Syndromes-Clinical Correlates and Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Internal Medicine
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Iron deficiency is prevalent in heart failure, linked to poor outcomes.
• Its role in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains unclear.
• This study investigates iron deficiency in ACS patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess iron deficiency prevalence in ACS patients.
• Correlate iron deficiency with infarct size and left ventricular function.
• Examine associations with in-hospital and post-discharge events.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed 152 ACS patients using multiple iron deficiency criteria.
• Defined deficiency by serum iron, transferrin saturation (TSAT), ferritin, and combined criteria.
• Assessed infarct size via peak cardiac troponin T and used Cox regression for event analysis.

Main Results:

• Iron deficiency prevalence varied from 21% to 62% by definition.
• Deficiency by serum iron or TSAT correlated with lower ejection fraction, not infarct size.
• Lower serum iron predicted post-discharge events, though not after hs-CRP adjustment; lower ferritin predicted fewer events.

Conclusions:

• Iron deficiency is frequent in acute coronary syndromes.
• Serum iron and TSAT definitions identify patients with poorer left ventricular function and increased inflammation.
• These factors may influence patient prognosis.