Assessing Iron Status in Chronic Heart Failure Patients by Using Serum Ferritin and Transferrin Saturation Levels: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Background and objective Chronic heart failure (HF) is a major medical condition worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Chronic HF could be complicated by iron deficiency (ID), and in severe cases, ID anemia, leading to negative HF outcomes even in people on optimal HF treatments. ID has been reported to be the most common nutritional deficiency in chronic HF. It is therefore important to study and analyze the relationship between these two variables. Identifying and treating the comorbidity of ID in chronic HF may help improve the treatment outcomes of chronic HF. In this study, we aimed to determine the iron status of chronic HF patients by using serum ferritin (SF) and transferrin saturation (TSAT). Materials and methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted involving 88 Nigerian patients with chronic HF at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The participants were evaluated based on their laboratory findings. Results ID was found in 34% of chronic HF patients. Of them, 17% had absolute ID while 17% had functional ID. Conclusion ID was present in about one-third of the chronic HF patients. It was more common and worse in patients belonging to advanced HF functional classes.