Position paper. The role of iron deficiency in patients with chronic heart failure and current corrective approaches

Further to the discussions, a position paper with the following main provisions was elaborated: 1. Iron Deficiency (ID) must be regarded as an independent clinically significant concomitant condition, with the prevalence reaching 50% among Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) patients in Russia. 2. According to observation studies iron deficiency in patients with CHF adversely affects functional performance and is associated with increased hospitalization rates and mortality. 3. ID must be excluded in all CHF patients, regardless of haemoglobin levels; the severity of ID should be evaluated. Blood ferritin concentration and transferrin saturation (TSAT, transferrin saturation coefficient) are currently optimal parameters for defining ID. 4. According to current data, therapy aimed only at increasing blood haemoglobin concentrations does not seem to have advantages in influencing the prognosis and clinical manifestations of CHF, while the elimination of ID in CHF patients leads to significant clinical benefits even in the absence of anaemia. 5. According to recently available data (the results of Randomized Clinical Trials, RCTs), the intravenous use of ferric carboxymaltose should be considered the most consistent approach for the treatment of ID in CHF patients. © 2020 Seoul National University. All rights reserved.