Anemia in CKD patients is an important risk factor for progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
They analyzed data from 210,981 Medicare patients hospitalized for acute MI between February 1994 and July 1995. Baseline hematocrit levels below 42% were associated with an increased rate of progression to ESRD, the study showed. Anemia was more strongly associated with progression to ESRD among individuals with a glomerular filtration rate below 15 mL/min/1.73 m2. In this subset, as the hematocrit category decreased from above 42% to below 28%, the risk of progression to ESRD increased ninefold.
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