Host: Peter van der Meer, MD, PhD

Guest: Pieter Martens, MD, PhD

Iron deficiency (ID), independent of anemia status, is common in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). In normal cardiac physiology, contractility increases disproportionally to heart rate; however, in HFrEF and concomitant ID, this response is impaired. Additionally, HFrEF patients with ID who receive cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) exhibit diminished cardiac reverse remodeling after CRT implant.

In this discussion, Drs. Martens and van der Meer discuss how physicians can work to improve reverse cardiac remodeling, the force-frequency relationship, and quality of life in patients with HFrEF and ID receiving CRT.