Intravenous Iron Supplement for Iron Deficiency in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis

Iron deficiency is a prevalent nutritional deficiency and a common cause of anemia. Although iron deficiency is traditionally linked to anemia, iron deficiency is prevalent even in the absence of anaemia and in itself limits function and survival. Iron deficiency is a common feature of various chronic diseases, and up to 50% of patients with heart failure have iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is more prevalent the more advanced the disease is and occurs more frequently in women. Iron deficiency comprises absolute iron deficiency (usually defined as ferritin < 100 ng/ml) as well as functional iron deficiency, in which iron supply is inadequate to meet the demand for the production of red blood cells and other cellular functions despite normal or abundant body iron stores. Iron deficiency is associated with poor exercise capacity, lethargy and reduced quality of life. Results from our studies have shown that iron deficiency is prevalent in patients with aortic stenosis. Some of the symptoms associated with aortic stenosis, such as fatigue, reduced exercise capacity, dyspnoea and cognitive dysfunction, have traditionally been thought to be caused by the haemodynamic derangements precipitated by the valvular stenosis. However, similar symptoms can be brought about by iron deficiency, and the investigators hypothesize that intravenous iron supplement will improve exercise capacity, muscle strength, cognition, health-related quality of life and myocardial function in patients with severe aortic stenosis and iron deficiency. This is a phase 2, double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 fashion to receive a single intravenous dose of iron isomaltoside (50 patients) or matching placebo (50 patients). The study is designed to show superiority with regard to the primary endpoint in patients assigned to active treatment versus patients allocated to the placebo arm. The main goal is to evaluate the effect of a single dose of intravenous iron isomaltoside on exercise capacity after transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with severe aortic stenosis and iron deficiency. For this study, the investigators have defined as serum ferritin < 100 µg/l or ferritin between 100 and 300 µg/l in combination with a transferrin saturation < 20 %.