Anemia Features

The Medical Minute Some Anemic Kids on Dialysis Are at Higher Death Risk

Some Anemic Kids on Dialysis Are at Higher Death Risk

Children on dialysis who have anemia and require high doses of drugs to treat it are at increased risk of dying prematurely.

The Medical Minute Complete Anemia Correction Better for Renal Transplant Patients

Complete Anemia Correction Better for Renal Transplant Patients

Completely correcting anemia in kidney transplant recipients may preserve kidney function better than partially correcting anemia.

Expert Q&A With ESAs, Let Your Patient Be Your Guide: An Interview with Alan S. Kliger, MD

With ESAs, Let Your Patient Be Your Guide: An Interview with Alan S. Kliger, MD

When using ESAs to correct anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease, focus less on hitting a given hemoglobin target.

Latest Anemia News

Advantages Cited with Novel Iron Drug

Soluble ferric pyrophosphate significantly decreased ESA use while maintaining target hemoglobin levels without increasing iron stores.

Transfusions On the Rise in Dialysis Patients

The trend is most pronounced among Medicare recipients since the debut of bundling, ESA labeling changes.

Hemoglobin Levels Decline After ESA Label Changes

Study also showed an increase in the proportion of patients with hemoglobin level below 10 g/dL and in transfusion rates.

FDA: Omontys Injection Pulled From Market

FDA: Omontys Injection Pulled From Market

Voluntary recall of anemia drug due to reports of anaphylaxis, including three deaths

Preoperative ESR Predicts Kidney Cancer Survival After Nephrectomy

Preoperative anemia associated with elevated risk of deaths from other illnesses.

Study: IV Iron Use Less with Once-Monthly ESA

Once-monthly injections of peginesatide are as effective as one to three injections per week of epoetin in maintaining hemoglobin levels.

IV Iron Repletion in 15 Minutes, Researchers Report

No major adverse events reported with administering 1.02 grams of ferumoxytol in patients with iron deficiency anemia.

ESAs Boost Stroke Risk, But Not Mortality

Meta-analysis also reveals an increased risk of vascular access thrombosis, but no increased likelihood of end-stage renal disease.

Hematocrit Decreases as eGFR Declines

Hematocrit decreases as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) declines in hypertensive chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Daily Hemodialysis Linked to Worsening Hb Levels

Patients initiating daily hemodialysis (DHD) face a significant decrease in mean hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, and transferrin.

IV Ascorbic Acid May Benefit EPO Resistant Patients

Intravenous ascorbic acid (IVAA) can be a potent and effective adjuvant treatment for hemodialysis patients who have normoferritinemic anemia resistant to treatment with erythropoietin (EPO).

Races Show Similar Declines in Epoetin Use, Hb Levels

Epoetin use and hemoglobin (Hb) levels have declined similarly for black and non-black dialysis patients following the advent of Medicare's system of "bundled" payments.

Low Iron, Intradialytic Hypotension Linked

Iron deficiency in the absence of anemia is associated with intradialytic hypotension (IDH), a finding that suggests iron has a role beyond erythropoiesis.

EPO Use Down, IV Iron Use Up

Clinicians are prescribing less erythropoietin and more intravenous iron for anemic hemodialysis patients after the introduction of a prospective payment system (PPS) for dialysis services ("bundling") and changes to ESA drug labels.

Sickle Cell Trait Associated with More ESA Use

Variant hemoglobin (Hb) is common in African-American hemodialysis patients and it is associated with a need for significantly increased doses of ESA.