Iron deficiency (ID) is common in patients with heart failure (HF), and ID is increasingly recognized as an important comorbidity in HF, even in the absence of anemia. ID is independently associated with worse functional capacity, lower quality of life (QOL), and an increased risk for hospitalization and mortality. Although HF guidelines recommend regular screening for ID with iron studies (serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation (TSAT), these studies are often not conducted, and therefore ID is underdiagnosed. Consequently, HF patients with ID are undertreated. Oral iron is ineffective in HF patients and is not recommended in HF guidelines. Conversely, intravenous (IV) repletion of iron has been shown to improve exercise capacity and QOL and is recommended in HF guidelines. Furthermore, IV iron supplementation with the ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) formulation reduces HF and cardiovascular (CV) hospitalizations as demonstrated in a meta-analysis of over 4,000 patients. Numerous potential barriers to a diagnosis of ID and treatment with IV iron can be present, and therefore a multidisciplinary team effort involving physicians, nurses, and pharmacists can ensure that challenges are satisfactorily addressed. Therefore, in this educational initiative, to take place at the 2024 Heart Failure Society of America annual meeting, attendees will be provided with information on the detrimental impact of ID in patients with HF, tests for screening ID, a definition to determine a diagnosis of ID, and evidence demonstrating the benefits achieved with IV iron therapy. A case study will focus on overcoming challenges in HF patient care with multidisciplinary teamwork, following best practices outlined in an expert-generated algorithm published in a scientific statement from the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA).

Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Where: Virtual; OnDemand in the HFSA Learning Center to follow

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from American Regent.