SAN DIEGO—Patients initiating daily hemodialysis (DHD) face a significant decrease in mean hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, and transferrin, according to study findings presented at Kidney Week 2012.

In an analysis of data from 171 of 336 subjects enrolled in the FREEDOM Study who completed one year of follow-up, Bertrand L. Jaber, MD, of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and collaborators also found a significant increase in the proportion of patients prescribed with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents  and oral/intravaneous iron preparations.

They noted that these trends did not result in patients being able to significantly maintain in-range Hb levels during the same period.

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Study subjects had a mean age of 53 years. The study population was 65% male and 70% white. Additionally, 59% used a fistula, 46% had diabetes, and 26% had heart failure.

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Anemias Dialysis