Iron deficiency (ID) has emerged as a critical yet underrecognized comorbidity in heart failure (HF). In a tertiary care study from South India, Gopinath et al. reported an alarming 84.7% prevalence of ID among 283 hospitalized HF patients, with 63.9% having absolute ID and 20.6% functional ID. Notably, nearly one in four patients had ID without anemia, revealing that reliance on hemoglobin alone can mask a clinically significant iron deficit.
Males were disproportionately affected, and the burden was consistent across all HF phenotypes—from preserved to reduced ejection fractions. These findings underscore the urgent need for routine iron profiling and reevaluation of treatment thresholds in Indian HF practice. Read the full study here Should iron repletion be considered as a cornerstone therapy in HF management, irrespective of hemoglobin levels?
