A Study of Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients with Severe Iron Deficiency in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Nandyal

Background: Anaemia is one of the major public healthproblems worldwide. Commonest nutritional deficiencyaffecting more than 1.2 billion individuals worldwide 1. Irondeficiency anaemia is associated with a reduction in physicalwell being and decreased exercise capacity. The prevalence ofanaemia is 30% in stable heart failure and 50% in hospitalizedheart failure patients, compared with less than 10% in thegeneral population 2.In iron deficiency anaemia, to maintainadequate oxygen delivery, cardiac output can increase by thecompensatory increase in blood volume, preload, heart rate,and stroke volume, and decrease in afterload.If severe irondeficiency anaemia left untreated, it could cause secondaryorgan damage. Chronic severe iron deficiency anaemia causescardiac remodelling, cardiomegaly, arrhythmia, left ventricularhypertrophy, and heart failure.Aim: To study the left ventricular dysfunction in patients withsevere iron deficiency admitted in a tertiary care hospital.Materials and Methods: A Hospital-based Prospective studywas conducted in the Department of Medicine, Santhirammedical college & general hospital for a 2 year period. UniversalSampling Technique was used for the selection of studysubjects. All the patients coming to the medicine departmentduring the study period with age > 18years with informedwritten consent taken from the patient,Hemoglobin< 6gm/dl(according to WHO criteria) and Red cell indices suggestive ofiron deficiency anaemia The final sample size was 100 subjects.Results: Out of 100 patients, 62% were females, and 38% weremales in the study group. The mean age in the study populationwas 40.68±12.5 years, with the minimum age being 18 yearsand maximum age is 70 years. The prevalence of LV dysfunctionin the study group was 61%.51% of the total population hadsystolic dysfunction and 10% had diastolic dysfunction.39% ofthe total population had normal LV function. In patients withsystolic dysfunction, 72.5% were females, and 27.5% weremales. In diastolic dysfunction, 50% were males, and 50% werefemales.Conclusion: As iron deficiency anaemia is more prevalentglobally, its consequences on the cardiovascular system werestudied. Iron deficiency anaemia is a major public healthproblem in developing countries, and it causes majorcardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Severe iron deficiencyanaemia causes structural changes in the left ventricle leadingto eccentric or concentric hypertrophy, which predisposes thepatients to develop left ventricular dysfunction. Hence, earlydiagnosis and management of iron deficiency anaemia canreverse remodelling and prevent left ventricular dysfunction.Thus, reducing major cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.