Perspectives for the treatment of anemia in heart failure: is there a role for vasopressin antagonists?

Anemia is an independent predictor of mortality in congestive heart failure patients. Recent studies have recognized that dilutional anemia is highly prevalent in this population. However, the implications for treatment have not been comprehensively elucidated. In this regard, arginine-vasopressin antagonists, by increasing aquaresis, may be an attractive treatment option. Nevertheless, only indirect evidence supports the hypothesis that arginine-vasopressin antagonists may be useful in the treatment of congestive heart failure anemia. Therefore, future clinical research should explore the role of arginine-vasopressin pathway activation in determining dilutional anemia and, ultimately, assess it as a therapeutic target.