Serum ferritin and the risk of short-term mortality in critically ill patients with chronic heart failure: a retrospective cohort study

Serum ferritin levels are associated with a higher risk of incident heart failure (HF). Whether serum ferritin levels, either increased or decreased, predict the risk of mortality in individuals with chronic heart failure (CHF) remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify the potential predictive significance of serum ferritin levels in assessing the short-term mortality in critically ill patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Critically ill patients with CHF were identified from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III and IV (MIMIC III and IV) databases. Linear and logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to assess the associations between serum ferritin and survival. A total of 1,739 and 2,322 patients with CHF identified from the MIMIC III and IV databases, respectively, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In the MIMIC III group, compared with the reference group (serum ferritin ≥70 and