Intravenous Iron Repletion for Iron Deficiency in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

Iron deficiency, with or without anemia, is common among individuals with heart failure (HF) and portends adverse outcomes. Trials of iron repletion have yielded conflicting results, possibly because of variability in iron preparations or definitions of iron deficiency across trials. A new trial provides further evidence.

In this partially industry-funded, randomized, placebo-controlled study, investigators enrolled 1105 individuals with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who had iron deficiency — defined as a serum ferritin <100 ng/mL or 100–299 ng/mL if transferrin saturation was <20%. The active-treatment group received intravenous ferric carboxymaltose up to 2000 mg initially and 500 mg every four months afterwards unti…