In the Australian study 959 patients hospitalized with HF were prospectively examined for a number of parameters; 38% (n=369) had anaemia (Hb <12.0 g/dL), which was normochromic normocytic in 87.8%. Of those who had haematinic studies, 15.5% had a confirmed haematinic deficiency. Although, anaemic patients were of similar age to non-anaemic patients, they were more likely to have elevated creatinine (48% versus 29%), hyponatraemia (20% versus 15%) and LVEF >40% (49% versus 39%) and were less likely to receive ACE inhibitors (72% versus 78%). At 12 months the anaemic patients had higher HF readmission rates (22.4% versus 15.7%), more multiple non-HF readmissions (12.4% versus 6.3%, p=0.001) and a higher mortality rate (16.4% versus 10.5%). This study is a simple examination of community patients, but one that demonstrates that anaemia is common (38%) in community patients hospitalized with HF, and is associated with increased risk of cardiac complications including HF and non-HF readmissions, and increased mortality. A haematinic deficiency was identified in 15.5% of patients. Anaemia is a common, multifactorial, but potentially treatable cause of adverse outcome in HF.

Click here to go to Heart Lung Circulation