Heart failure and iron deficiency

Today, the first investigation of its kind, published in Open Heart, has uncovered a hidden cost of heart failure (HF) on the NHS due to under-managed, but treatable, iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). The findings have not only revealed an avoidable cost to the healthcare system of £21.5 million, but also confirmed the significant impact ID/IDA are having on patients’ lives.

The investigation, led by leading UK doctors, reviewed NHS data of 80,000 people with HF. They found that around a third of those patients analysed were ineffectively screened for ID/IDA, having a potentially debilitating impact on their quality of life, and leading to over 109,000 additional hospital bed days per year in England.

Nearly one million people in the UK live with HF, of whom up to 50% may also suffer from ID. Despite being simple to diagnose and treat, ID and IDA are widely ignored, leading to avoidable A&E admissions with additional hospital bed pressures.

Aston spoke to Nick Hartshorne-Evans, founder and CEO of UK charity THe Pumping Marvellous Foundation to discuss about the statistics and the effects undiagnosed iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia has on heart failure.