Diurnal Variation of Blood Markers of Iron Deficiency in HF
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Blood Markers of Iron Deficiency and Absorption: Diurnal Variation in Patients with Heart Failure
IRAS ID
354764
Contact name
Pierpaolo Pellicori
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Iron is essential for carrying oxygen in the blood and for muscle function. Many people with heart failure (HF) lack enough iron in the body, which can worsen breathlessness and fatigue, and increase risk of serious complications. Iron deficiency is usually assessed measuring a protein in the blood, called ferritin: however, this is not accurate in patients with HF.
Measuring directly iron in the blood can be a better indicator of body iron stores, but there are concerns that its levels might fluctuate during the day, at least in healthy people.
In this study, we will investigate how different blood measures of body iron stores change throughout the day and after taking oral iron in 20 patients with HF. For this, we will take several blood samples at different times on two days: on a regular diet (Day 1) and after taking oral iron (Day 2).
This study aims at improving the identification of iron deficiency in patients with HF, as they might benefit from treatment with iron.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
25/WS/0053
Date of REC Opinion
9 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion