Management of anemia in heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
Anemia is a relatively common finding in heart failure. Anemia in heart failure patients has been independently associated with reduced exercise tolerance, increased heart failure hospitalizations and increased all-cause mortality. Anemia would appear to be a reasonable treatment target for patients with heart failure. The review will discuss the potential causes of anemia in heart failure patients and give an up-to-date overview of treatment trials.


RESULTS
Studies assessing the pathophysiology of anemia in heart failure patients have recently demonstrated the potential importance of iron deficiency, abnormal iron metabolism and hemodilution. Treatment studies have focused on the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, with recent trials showing mixed results.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite initial studies indicating a possible beneficial effect of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in the treatment of anemic heart failure patients, clinical trial data, to date, have failed to show convincing evidence for morbidity or mortality benefit, and information on the long-term safety is lacking. Ongoing large-scale trials will have the potential to provide such information in the future.
Stamos
Thomas D
TD
Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Silver
Marc A
MA
D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications*; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D006397:Hematinics; D058085:Iron Compounds