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- Published on: 28 November 2019
- Published on: 28 November 2019The issue of non-anaemic iron deficiency
The heading which reads "Heart failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction(LVEF < 40%) & Iron Deficiency Anaemia"(fig 1)(1) fails. by implication, to recognise that heart failure-related iron deficiency has an outcome which is detrimental irrespective of whether or not the patient is anaemic(2). In the latter study, among heart failure patients who had a marker of iron deficiency(ID), namely, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration(MCHC) equal to or less than 330 g/L, there was a significant association with increased mortality(Hazard Ratio 1.7, 95% Confidence Interval 1.4 to 2.0) which persisted even after adjusting for anaemia(HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.8)(2). The use of the cut-off MCHC value of 330 g/L or less as a marker of ID (1) is supported by studies where mean values for MCHC amounted to 319 g/L and 327.9 g/L, respectively, among subjects with ID(3)(4). In those two studies the iron-replete subjects were characterised by MCHC values amounting to 339 g/L and 340 g/L, respectively. The mean values for MCHC in ID subjects(namely, 319 g/L and 327.9 g/L, respectively) were significantly(p=0.001, p < 0.001) lower than the mean values for MCHC(339 g/L and 340 g L, respectively) in their iron-replete counterparts. In those two studies, as well, mean values for mean corpuscular volume(MCV) in ID subjects ranged from 85.5 fl to 90.2 fl in spite of proven ID(serum ferritin < 30 mcg/L) and MCHC < 330 g/L. Accordingly, to optimise the i...
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