Prevalence of iron deficiency among patients with chronic heart failure attending Rizgary and Hawler teaching hospitals in Erbil City

Abstract

Background and objectives: Iron deficiency is an emerging problem in patients with chronic heart failure and could be a potential therapeutic target. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, severity, and type of iron deficiency among patients with chronic heart failure. Methods: This study was conducted in Rizgary and Hawler teaching hospitals in Erbil from April 2015 to January 2016. A total of 60 patients with heart failure for more than six months with an ejection fraction less than 55% were enrolled. These patients were evaluated for iron status and hematological indices. Results: The prevalence of iron deficiency was 76.7% with 52 %of them having severe iron deficiency. Absolute iron deficiency was detected in 41% of patients. The prevalence of anemia was 41.7%. There was a significant difference between those with chronic heart failure with iron deficiency and those with no iron deficiency in the hemoglobin (P = 0.001), mean cell volume (P = 0.001), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (P = 0.002), serum iron (P <0.001) and transferrin saturation (P <0.001). Conclusion: Iron deficiency is common in chronic heart failure. It is the most common cause of anemia in such patients. Serum ferritin alone was not a reliable marker of iron deficiency in such patients.