IRONICA: IRON Repletion In Heart Failure - A Comparison of Oral and IV Approaches

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which iron treatment works better for adults with congestive heart failure and low iron levels: intravenous (IV) iron given through a vein or oral (PO) iron taken by mouth. Participants must have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and a transferrin-saturation (TSAT) level below 20 percent.

The main questions the study will answer are:

1. Does IV iron raise walking distance on a 6-minute walk test more than oral iron after 24 weeks? 2. Does IV iron improve symptoms and quality of life more than oral iron? 3. How do the two treatments compare for safety, side effects, and hospital readmissions/ mortality?

Researchers will compare IV ferric carboxymaltose with oral ferrous sulfate to see which option helps people feel and function better.

What participants will do

* Be randomly assigned by (like flipping a coin) to IV iron or oral iron. * Receive either a one-time IV iron infusion (with possible repeat at 12 weeks) or take iron pills twice each day for 24 weeks. * Visit the infusion clinic at 6 weeks for second dose of IV iron if needed. * Visit the clinic at 12 weeks for a follow-up to gather follow-up data including

1. A 6-minute walk test 2. Brief symptom and quality-of-life surveys 3. Blood tests to measure serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation

This study will help doctors decide whether IV or oral iron is the safer, more effective way to treat iron deficiency in people with heart failure in our local community.