Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

SUMMARY Anemia is a common and early complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with a wide range of complications including increased morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular consequences. Several factors contribute to the anemia seen in CKD patients but by far the most important factor is erythropoietin deficiency. The anemia of CKD remains both underdiagnosed and undertreated despite the wide availability of safe and effective treatment. Correction of anemia with exogenous erythropoietin is associated with improvements in outcome and hence should be aggressively pursued. Iron deficiency is common in CKD patients for multiple reasons and should be appropriately treated prior to erythropoietin treatment.