title: Iron Status in Chronic Heart Failure: Impact on Symptoms, Functional Class and Submaximal Exercise Capacity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of iron deficiency and anemia on submaximal exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a single-center cross-sectional study in a group of stable patients with chronic heart failure. At recruitment, patients provided baseline information and completed a 6-minute walk test to evaluate submaximal exercise capacity and exercise-induced symptoms. At the same time, blood samples were taken for serological evaluation. Iron deficiency was defined as ferritin < 100 ng/mL or transferrin saturation < 20% when ferritin is < 800 ng/mL. Additional markers of iron status were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 538 heart failure patients were eligible for inclusion, with an average age of 71 years and 33% were in New York Heart Association class III/IV. The mean distance walked in the test was 285 ± 101 meters among those with impaired iron status, vs 322 ± 113 meters (P=.002). Symptoms during the test were more frequent in iron deficiency patients (35% vs 27%; P=.028) and the most common symptom reported was fatigue. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that increased levels of soluble transferrin receptor indicating abnormal iron status were independently associated with advanced New York Heart Association class (P < .05). Multivariable analysis using generalized additive models, soluble transferrin receptor and ferritin index, both biomarkers measuring iron status, showed a significant, independent and linear association with submaximal exercise capacity (P=.03 for both). In contrast, hemoglobin levels were not significantly associated with 6-minute walk test distance in the multivariable analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with chronic heart failure, iron deficiency but not anemia was associated with impaired submaximal exercise capacity and symptomatic functional limitation.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain; Departmento de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: cristinaenjuanes@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Enjuanes
authors.affiliation: Programa de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruguera
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Epidemiología y Genética Cardiovascular, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain; Departmento de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mercé
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cladellas
authors.affiliation: Programa de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Oona
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Meroño
authors.affiliation: Programa de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moliner-Borja
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain; Instituto de Investigación en Atención Primaria Jordi Gol, Instituto Catalán de la Salud, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Verdú
authors.affiliation: Programa de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farré
authors.affiliation: Programa de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades del Corazón, IMIM (Instituto Hospital del Mar de Investigaciones Médicas), Barcelona, Spain; Departmento de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Comín-Colet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D000070857:Walk Test
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins
keywords: 6-minute walk test; Capacidad de ejercicio submáxima; Déficit de hierro; Heart failure; Insuficiencia cardiaca; Iron deficiency; Prueba de 6 minutos de marcha; Receptor de transferrina soluble; Soluble transferrin receptor; Submaximal exercise capacity