Anaemia in the clinical practice: a new look at an old problem

V.N. Larina

Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow

The general practitioner usually has to deal with comorbid diseases in patients. Anaemia and iron deficiency commonly cause congestive heart failure (CHF) in the elderly. Iron deficiency in combination with anaemia and individually can worsen the course of CHF and diseases underlying its development, reduce the life quality, physical activity of patients and increase the risk of adverse events. Fundamentally important is to conduct iron deficiency screening in all patients with CHF, especially during the first occurrence, and laboratory studies are crucial when diagnosing iron deficiency anaemia. To date, there is no unequivocal evidence for the treatment of elderly patients with CHF and anaemia. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and correct the causes of iron deficiency in patients with CHF, prescribe neuromodulators in recommended doses, in particular, the main groups of drugs (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin I I receptor antagonists, β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists) and a reasonable approach to the treatment of the edema syndrome.

Keywords: anaemia, iron deficiency, congestive heart failure, iron supplements, treatment.

For citation: Larina V.N. Anaemia in the clinical practice: a new look at an old problem. RMJ. 2019;12:44–50.