Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in iron‐deficient chronic heart failure patients with and without anaemia: a subanalysis of the FAIR‐HF trial
Open Access
- 1 November 2013
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in European Journal of Heart Failure
- Vol. 15 (11), 1267-1276
- https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjhf/hft099
Abstract
Aims Therapy with i.v. iron in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID) improves symptoms, functional capacity, and quality of life. We sought to investigate whether these beneficial outcomes are independent of anaemia. Methods and results FAIR‐HF randomized 459 patients with CHF [NYHA class II or III, LVEF ≤40% (NYHA II) or ≤45% (NYHA III)] and ID to i.v. iron as ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) or placebo in a 2:1 ratio. We analysed the efficacy and safety according to the presence or absence of anaemia (haemoglobin ≤120 g/L) at baseline. Of 459 patients, 232 had anaemia at baseline (51%). The effect of FCM on the primary endpoints of self‐reported Patient Global Assessment (PGA) and NYHA class at week 24 was similar in patients with and without anaemia [odds ratio (OR) for improvement, 2.48 vs. 2.60, P = 0.97 for PGA and 1.90 vs. 3.39, P = 0.51 for NYHA). Results were also similar for the secondary endpoints, including PGA and NYHA at weeks 4 and 12, 6 min walk test distance, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire overall score, and European Quality of Life‐5 Dimensions Visual Analogue Scale at most time points. Regarding safety, no differences were noticed in the rates of death or first hospitalization between FCM and placebo both in anaemic and in non‐anaemic patients. Conclusions Treatment of ID with FCM in patients with CHF is equally efficacious and shows a similar favourable safety profile irrespective of anaemia. Iron status should be assessed in symptomatic CHF patients both with and without anaemia and treatment of ID should be considered.This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit:
- Treatment of Anemia with Darbepoetin Alfa in Systolic Heart FailureThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2013
- ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012European Journal of Heart Failure, 2012
- ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure 2012 of the European Society of Cardiology. Developed in collaboration with the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESCEuropean Heart Journal, 2012
- The effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure and iron deficiency: a subanalysis of the FAIR-HF studyEuropean Heart Journal, 2012
- Rationale and design of Ferinject® Assessment in patients with IRon deficiency and chronic Heart Failure (FAIR‐HF) study: a randomized, placebo‐controlled study of intravenous iron supplementation in patients with and without anaemiaEuropean Journal of Heart Failure, 2009
- Effects of darbepoetin α on right and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in anemic patients with chronic heart failure secondary to ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathyAmerican Heart Journal, 2008
- Correction of Anemia with Epoetin Alfa in Chronic Kidney DiseaseThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2006
- Anemia, Renal Dysfunction, and Their Interaction in Patients With Chronic Heart FailureThe American Journal of Cardiology, 2006
- Anemia as a risk factor and therapeutic target in heart failureJournal of the American College of Cardiology, 2004
- EQ-SD: a measure of health status from the EuroQol GroupAnnals of Medicine, 2001