Is Finding and Fixing Iron Deficiency in Heart Failure Beneficial? IRONMAN in Detail

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Ileana L. Piña, MD, MPH: Hi. I'm Ileana Piña, heart failure transplant cardiologist and quality chief at Thomas Jefferson in Philadelphia. This is my blog from the American Heart Association meeting in the beautiful town of Chicago.

I've been watching for years my heart failure patients come in with low hemoglobin. I always turn to my heart house staff and ask why the patient is anemic. They'll say, "Oh, that's anemia of chronic disease" but never go beyond that.

Now we know that it does matter and iron deficiency is a problem that is highly prevalent. In the United States, it's highly prevalent, particularly in women and African American women whose iron stores have been depleted and never get replenished. We have conversations about giving IV iron, recognizing that oral iron does not get absorbed.

I am thrilled to have with me here Dr Kalra. Please introduce yourself.

Paul R. Kalra, MD, MB BChir:I'm Paul Kalra from the United Kingdom. I work as a clinical cardiologist and heart failure specialist at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust in Portsmouth on the South Coast. I also have an honorary contract at the University of Glasgow.