ReviewNon-cardiac targets to treat heart failure in children: Anemia, Exercise, Nutrition, Proceedings from the 4th International Conference on Cardiomyopathy in Children, Bethesda, May 17, 2017

- Therapeutic interventions based on non-cardiac targets have had a positive impact on outcomes in adult heart failure trials
- Iron deficiency, malnutrition, and exercise are potential targets to be studied in pediatric heart failure
- A clinical trial of parenteral iron to assess effect on children with heart failure and iron deficiency is worthwhile
- Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programs utilizing web-based technology may benefit children with heart failure
- Enteral nutrition supplements as part of acute heart failure protocol could decrease malnutrition in transplant candidates

Anemia, exercise, and nutrition are areas which have been studied extensively as targets to modify outcomes in adult heart failure. Non cardiac targets to improve heart failure outcomes in children are not well established and clinical trials related to pediatric heart failure have been limited. The purpose of this article is to highlight potential therapeutic targets and outcome measures, specifically related to iron deficiency, exercise training, and malnutrition, that can be considered for research protocol development with clinical implications.