Treatment of anaemia with darbepoetin alfa in systolic heart failure

Source: New England Journal of Medicine Area: News The findings of a study evaluating whether darbepoetin alfa improves clinical outcomes in patients with chronic systolic heart failure and non-iron-deficiency anaemia have been presented at the meeting of the American College of Cardiology and published early online in the New England Journal of Medicine.   The authors note that there is evidence to suggest that increasing haemoglobin (Hb) level with the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) may improve outcomes in patients with heart failure and anaemia, but it is not robust. Their study (Reduction of Events by Darbepoetin Alfa in Heart Failure [RED-HF]) randomised 2,278 patients with systolic heart failure and mild-moderate anaemia (Hb 9.0 to 12.0 g/dL) not due to iron deficiency to double-blind treatment with darbepoetin alfa (Hb target of 13 g/dL) (n=1,136) or placebo (n=1,142).   The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause or hospitalisation for worsening heart failure - this ...
Source: NeLM - Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Source Type: news