The diagnosis of heart failure is usually missed, denying patients treatments that could improve wellbeing and reduce mortality. That’s the finding from a late breaking science presentation today at Heart Failure 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “For patients with heart failure, lifestyle advice, medicines and devices can improve symptoms, reduce morbidity and prolong life but this requires someone to recognise and diagnose the condition,” said principal investigator Professor John Cleland of the University of Glasgow, UK. “The earlier the diagnosis, the more effective treatment is likely to be. However, the results of this analysis suggest that most patients with heart failure die without the diagnosis ever being recognised.”
Iron deficiency can lead to poorer outcomes for patients undergoing open heart surgery. Scientists are aiming to find out if an injection of iron before heart surgery could reduce complications and speed up recovery time. It is estimated that up to half of people who have open heart surgery have iron deficiency, which can lead to increased blood transfusions, longer stays in intensive care and slower recovery. A team of researchers at Glasgow University are investigating whether giving an injection of iron into a vein approximately one month before surgery gets to the bone marrow and corrects the deficiency. They will then conduct a larger trial to conclusively test whether a “shot” of iron before heart surgery could reduce the risk of complications and hasten recovery.