title: Iron deficiency and heart failure: diagnostic dilemmas and therapeutic perspectives.
abstract: Iron is a micronutrient essential for cellular energy and metabolism, necessary for maintaining body homoeostasis. Iron deficiency is an important co-morbidity in patients with heart failure (HF). A major factor in the pathogenesis of anaemia, it is also a separate condition with serious clinical consequences (e.g. impaired exercise capacity) and poor prognosis in HF patients. Experimental evidence suggests that iron therapy in iron-deficient animals may activate molecular pathways that can be cardio-protective. Clinical studies have demonstrated favourable effects of i.v. iron on the functional status, quality of life, and exercise capacity in HF patients. It is hypothesized that i.v. iron supplementation may become a novel therapy in HF patients with iron deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, ul Weigla 5, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland. ewa.jankowska@am.wroc.pl
authors.forename: Ewa A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Jankowska
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Haehling
authors.forename: Stefan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Anker
authors.forename: Iain C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Macdougall
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ponikowski
mesh_terms: D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary; D007501:Iron