Effects of 6-months of oral ferrous and ferric supplement therapy in patients who were hospitalized for decompensated chronic heart failure

OBJECTIVE: Anemia is common in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). This study aimed to examine the frequency of iron deficiency anemia in patients with CHF. We investigated the effects of oral ferrous or ferric supplementation on prognosis of CHF and quality of life. METHODS: A total of 201 patients with chronic decompensated heart failure were enrolled in a 6-month prospective study. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients in group I (n = 100) received ferrous fumarate and those in group II (n = 101) received ferric hydroxide polymaltose complex. Quality of life was measured by the 6-minute walking test (6MWT). RESULTS: A total of 49% of the patients had iron-dependent anemia in group I and 53.3% were anemic in group II. In group I, the number of anemic patients was significantly lower at 6 months after admission compared with at initial admission (49% versus 45%). Significant improvements were observed in hemoglobin values, the 6MWT distance, and New York Heart Association class after 6 months in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Iron deficiency is a significant comorbidity in CHF, even without anemia. Iron should be replaced orally or intravenously because it significantly improves the quality of life of patients.