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Meta-Analysis and Metaregression of the Treatment Effect of Intravenous Iron in Iron-Deficient Heart Failure
Martens, P., Augusto, S. N., Jr., Mullens, W., Tang, W. H. W.
JACC. Heart failure. 2023
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Editor's Choice
Abstract
BACKGROUND Guidelines recommend that intravenous iron should be considered to improve symptoms of heart failure (HF) and reduce the risk for HF admissions in patients after acute HF. OBJECTIVES This study sought to analyze the effect of intravenous iron on cardiovascular (CV) death and HF admissions in a broad population of HF patients with iron deficiency and the relation with baseline transferrin saturation (TSAT). METHODS A systematic review of all published randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of intravenous iron in patients with iron deficiency and HF between January 1, 2000, and August 26, 2023, was performed. The overall treatment effect was estimated using a fixed effect model for: 1) CV death; 2) CV death and HF admission; 3) first HF admission; and 4) total HF admissions. Metaregression through a mixed effect model was used to explore the impact of baseline TSAT in case of heterogeneity among trial results. RESULTS A total of 14 randomized controlled trials were identified in the systematic review and retained in the meta-analysis. Aggregate-level data were included on 6,624 HF patients, 3,407 of whom were randomized to intravenous iron and 3,217 to placebo. Treatment with intravenous iron resulted in a lower risk for CV death (OR: 0.867 [95% CI: 0.755-0.955]; P = 0.0427), combined CV death and HF admission (OR: 0.838 [95% CI: 0.751-0.936]; P = 0.0015), first HF admission (OR: 0.855 [95% CI: 0.744-0.983]; P = 0.0281), and total HF admissions (rate ratio: 0.739 [95% CI: 0.661-0.827]; P < 0.0001). Significant heterogeneity among trial results was observed for first and total HF admissions. Metaregression suggested that some of the heterogeneity was related to the baseline TSAT of the enrolled population, with trials enrolling patients with lower TSAT exhibiting a large effect size on HF-related events. CONCLUSIONS The totality of data suggests that treatment with intravenous iron reduces both CV death and HF-related events in a broad population with HF. A lower baseline TSAT might be important for the effect on HF-related events.
PICO Summary
Population
Patients with iron deficiency and heart failure (HF), (14 randomised controlled trials, n= 6,624).
Intervention
Intravenous iron (n= 3,407).
Comparison
Placebo (n= 3,217).
Outcome
Treatment with intravenous iron resulted in a lower risk for cardiovascular (CV) death (OR: 0.867; 95% CI [0.755, 0.955]), combined CV death and HF admission (OR: 0.838; 95% CI [0.751, 0.936]), first HF admission (OR: 0.855; 95% CI [0.744, 0.983]), and total HF admissions (rate ratio: 0.739; 95% CI [0.661, 0.827]). Significant heterogeneity among trial results was observed for first and total HF admissions. Meta-regression suggested that some of the heterogeneity was related to the baseline transferrin saturation (TSAT) of the enrolled population, with trials enrolling patients with lower TSAT exhibiting a large effect size on HF-related events.
2.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of intravenous iron-carbohydrate complexes in HFrEF patients with iron deficiency
Sindone A, Doehner W, Comin-Colet J
ESC heart failure. 2022
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Free full text
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Editor's Choice
Abstract
Iron deficiency (ID) is a common co-morbidity in patients with heart failure (HF). The present meta-analysis evaluates the effect of intravenous (IV) iron-carbohydrate complex supplementation in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and ID/iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing IV iron-carbohydrate complexes with placebo/standard of care in patients with HFrEF with ID/IDA were identified using Embase (from 1957) and PubMed (from 1989) databases through 25 May 2021. Twelve RCTs including 2381 patients were included in this analysis. The majority (90.8%) of patients receiving IV iron-carbohydrate therapy were administered ferric carboxymaltose (FCM); 7.5% received iron sucrose and 1.6% received iron isomaltoside. IV iron-carbohydrate therapy significantly reduced hospitalization for worsening HF [0.53 (0.42-0.65); P < 0.0001] and first hospitalization for worsening HF or death [0.75 (0.59-0.95); P = 0.016], but did not significantly impact all-cause mortality, compared with control. IV iron-carbohydrate therapy significantly improved functional and exercise capacity compared with the control. There was no significant difference in outcome between IV iron-carbohydrate formulations when similar endpoints were measured. No significant difference in adverse events (AE) was observed between the treatment groups. IV iron-carbohydrate therapy resulted in improvements in a range of clinical outcomes and increased functional and exercise capacity, whereas AEs were not significantly different between IV iron-carbohydrate and placebo/standard of care arms. These findings align with the European Society of Cardiology's 2021 HF guidelines, which recommend the consideration of FCM in symptomatic patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < 45% and ID.
PICO Summary
Population
Patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and iron deficiency, (12 randomised controlled trials, n= 2,381).
Intervention
Intravenous (IV) iron-carbohydrate complex supplementation.
Comparison
Placebo or standard of care.
Outcome
The majority (90.8%) of patients receiving IV iron-carbohydrate therapy were administered ferric carboxymaltose; 7.5% received iron sucrose and 1.6% received iron isomaltoside. IV iron-carbohydrate therapy significantly reduced hospitalization for worsening HF [0.53 (0.42-0.65)] and first hospitalization for worsening HF or death [0.75 (0.59-0.95)], but did not significantly impact all-cause mortality, compared with control. IV iron-carbohydrate therapy significantly improved functional and exercise capacity compared with the control. There was no significant difference in outcome between IV iron-carbohydrate formulations when similar endpoints were measured. No significant difference in adverse events (AE) was observed between the treatment groups. IV iron-carbohydrate therapy resulted in improvements in a range of clinical outcomes and increased functional and exercise capacity, whereas AEs were not significantly different between IV iron-carbohydrate and placebo/standard of care arms.
3.
Efficacy and safety of iron therapy in patients with chronic heart failure and iron deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on 15 randomised controlled trials
Zhang J, Hu S, Jiang Y, Zhou Y
Postgraduate medical journal. 2020
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Editor's Choice
Abstract
Trials studying iron administration in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID) have sprung up these years but the results remain inconsistent. The aim of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of iron therapy in patients with CHF and ID. A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, OVID and Web of Science up to 31 July 2019 to search for randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing iron therapy with placebo in CHF with ID, regardless of presence of anaemia. Published studies reporting data of any of the following outcomes were included: all-cause death, cardiovascular hospitalisation, adverse events, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide, peak oxygen consumption, 6 min walking test (6MWT) distance and quality of life (QoL) parameters. 15 RCTs with a total of 1627 patients (911 in iron therapy and 716 in control) were included. Iron therapy was demonstrated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular hospitalisation (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.99, p=0.049), but was ineffective in reducing all-cause death (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.06, p=0.078) or cardiovascular death (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.63, p=0.540). Iron therapy resulted in a reduction in NYHA class (mean difference (MD) -0.73, 95% CI -0.99 to -0.47, p<0.001), an increase in LVEF (MD +4.35, 95% CI 0.69 to 8.00, p=0.020), 6MWT distance (MD +35.44, 95% CI 11.55 to 59.33, p=0.004) and an improvement in QoL: EQ-5D score (MD +4.07, 95% CI 0.84 to 7.31, p=0.014); Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire score (MD -19.47, 95% CI -23.36 to -15.59, p<0.001) and Patients Global Assessment (PGA) scale (MD 0.71, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.10, p<0.001). There was no significant difference in adverse events or serious adverse events between iron treatment group and control group. Iron therapy reduces cardiovascular hospitalisation in patients with CHF with ID, and additionally improves cardiac function, exercise capacity and QoL in patients with CHF with ID and anaemia, without an increase of adverse events.
PICO Summary
Population
Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and iron deficiency (ID), (15 studies, n= 1627).
Intervention
Iron therapy (n= 911).
Comparison
Placebo (n= 716).
Outcome
Iron therapy reduced the risk of cardiovascular hospitalisation, but was ineffective in reducing all-cause death or cardiovascular death. There was no significant difference in adverse events or serious adverse events between iron treatment group and control group.