ESA Resistance Found To Increase Mortality

Greater resistance to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) is associated with an increased risk of death among patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD), researchers reported in Blood Purification (2014;37:106-112).

In a study of 248 chronic HD patients, Japanese investigators found that patients in the highest tertile of erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) had a fourfold increased risk of all-cause mortality compared with those in the lowest tertile.

ERI was calculated by dividing the weekly body-weight-adjusted epoetin dose by the hemoglobin concentration.

From the April 01, 2014 Issue of Renal and Urology News