title: Iron deficiency and cardiovascular disease.
abstract: Iron deficiency affects up to one-third of the world's population, and is particularly common in elderly individuals and those with certain chronic diseases. Iron excess can be detrimental in cardiovascular illness, and research has now also brought anaemia and iron deficiency into the focus of cardiovascular medicine. Data indicate that iron deficiency has detrimental effects in patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure (HF), and pulmonary hypertension, and possibly in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Around one-third of all patients with HF, and more than one-half of patients with pulmonary hypertension, are affected by iron deficiency. Patients with HF and iron deficiency have shown symptomatic improvements from intravenous iron administration, and some evidence suggests that these improvements occur irrespective of the presence of anaemia. Improved exercise capacity has been demonstrated after iron administration in patients with pulmonary hypertension. However, to avoid iron overload and T-cell activation, it seems that recipients of cardiac transplantations should not be treated with intravenous iron preparations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Innovative Clinical Trials, Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University of Göttingen Medical School, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Haehling
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, ulica Weigla 5, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Jankowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Gronigen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: van Veldhuisen
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, ulica Weigla 5, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ponikowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Innovative Clinical Trials, Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University of Göttingen Medical School, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Anker
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007501:Iron