5th IMCIA: focus on anemia and cardiology

Following our insights on Patient Blood Management (PBM) and anemia in oncohematology, now, one week before the 5th International Multidisciplinary Course on Iron Anemia, we are talking about anemia in cardiology.

Cardiology is a relatively new branch of medicine in the context of iron deficiency anemia, but the results obtained with sucrosomial® iron in other medical fields indicate an interesting subject of study.

We asked Professor Sandro Barni, president of the conference, to explain how cardiology is connected to iron deficiency anemia regarding the issues that will be discussed during the 5th IMCIA.

This is a relatively new field of study in cardiology, why did anemia gain importance?

«Anemia is a very frequent comorbidity (the presence of one or more additional diseases or disorders co-occurring with a primary disease or disorder) in patients with heart failure. It is a new therapeutic area in cardiac insufficiency, since hemoglobin (Hb) decrease is considered a powerful independent predictor of increased risk of death and hospitalization. The hemoglobin carries oxygen, which is essential for the heart. »

How treating anemia with sucrosomial® oral iron brings improvements in cardiac patient?

«There are no guidelines concerning anemia treatment in cardiac insufficiency. The studies that investigated the treatment are mostly of very low sample size. The few randomized studies that analyzed the effects of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) in combination with intravenous iron therapy did not provide the expected results. Furthermore, the Hb value to reach is still not well-defined, especially after the emerging side effects and cardiovascular risk following the treatment with ESAs in cancer patients. Although there are still several aspects to define in this specific context, sucrosomial® iron makes iron supplementation possible without affecting the patient compliance, also in case of elderly and extensively pretreated patients often with tolerability issues. »

What are the future prospects in this area?

« Based on the data already available in nephrology, rheumatology, oncohematology and gastroenterology, the safety and the efficacy of sucrosomial® iron could be very promising also in patients with cardiac disease. »

See also:

Firenze 31 marzo – 1 aprile 2017: 5^ International Multidisciplinary Course on Iron Anemia

Anemia da carenza di ferro: 5 anni di ricerca e approfondimento scientifico raccontati dal Dott. Sandro Barni in occasione del 5th International Multidisciplinary Course on Iron Anemia