What were the effects of IV iron on Chronic Heart Failure?
The effect estimate suggested a clinically important reduction in hospitalisations (130 fewer hospitalisations per 1000 people) but there was no clinical effect shown on exercise tolerance. There was no evidence of potential gastrointestinal disturbance and the impact on systolic blood pressure was not clinically significant. The committee was concerned by the apparent excess of ischaemic stroke in the IV iron arm, but noted that this was from only 2 occurrences in 1 study. On the basis of these findings the committee was uncertain that the benefits of IV iron had been completely demonstrated.