ANEMIA AND HEART FAILURE

Rev Med Liege, March 1, 2006; 61(3): 154-8.

The prevalence of heart failure is increasing. Anemia is often present, particularly in severe cases. The Fick equation illustrates the relationship between anemia and heart failure. The concepts of cardiorenal syndrome and erythropoietin resistance are parts of the physiopathology. Anemia is associated with a bad prognosis in heart failure. Nevertheless, it is too early to know precisely whether anemia represents a simple marker of severity or if specific treatment, especially with erythropoietin, is useful in terms of morbidity and mortality. Current guidelines recommend the correction of secondary causes when anemia is present in a heart failure patient.