Iron deficiency (ID) is present in approximately 50% of patients with heart failure (HF) and even higher prevalence rate up to 80% in post-acute HF setting. The current guidelines for HF recommend intravenous (IV) iron replacement in HF with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction and ID based on clinical trials showing improvements in quality of life and exercise capacity, and an overall treatment benefit for recurrent HF hospitalization. However, several barriers cause challenges in implementing IV iron supplementation in practice due, in part, to clinician knowledge gaps and limited resource availability to protocolize routine utilization in appropriate patients. Thus, the current review will discuss practical considerations in ID treatment, implementation of evidence-based ID treatment to improve regional health disparities with toolkits, inclusion/exclusion criteria of IV iron supplementation, and clinical controversies in ID treatment, as well as gaps in evidence and questions to be answered.

Editors

JACC Heart Failure Editor-in-Chief
Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, FACC 

Deputy Editor
Akshay S. Desai, MD, MPH 

JACC Heart Failure CME/MOC Editor
Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, MD

Author
Megan Pelter, MD

Important Dates

Date of Release: December 2, 2024
Term of Approval/Date of CME/MOC Expiration: December 1, 2025