Update regarding anemia in heart failure

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a burden for the healthcare system. The incidence will increase significantly due to the aging of po­pu­la­tion, which is associated with multiple comorbidities. Ane­mia and iron deficiency are common in patients with HF, their etiology being often multifactorial. The screening for anemia and iron deficiency is recommended as soon as pos­si­ble. There are often no targeted investigations, therefore a significant proportion of cases are underdiagnosed. The ma­nagement of patients may focus on identifying and correcting the cause. Anemia can occur due to nutritional deficiencies, infla­m­mation, renal failure, bone marrow dysfunction, neuro­hor­mo­nal activity, treatment and hemodilution. The appropriate the­ra­py for the patients with anemia and HF will contribute to the improvement of life quality. The only recommended iron product is ferric carboxymalose administered by in­tra­venous infusion. Under the appropriate treatment, the pa­tients showed an increase in effort tolerance, with an im­prove­ment in symptomatology and a lower number of hos­pi­ta­li­za­tion days. The management of these cases is handled by a multidisciplinary team consisting of a general prac­ti­tio­ner, a cardiologist and other specialists if the patient has other comorbidities. The role of the general practitioner is essential, as he can perform proper screening, prevention and management, developed by a multidisciplinary team, in order to reduce the cardiac morbidity and mortality.