title: Use of erythropoietin in heart failure management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the use of erythropoietin for anemia in heart failure (HF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Peer-reviewed articles in MEDLINE (1966-June 2004) were identified and citations from available articles were reviewed using the search terms anemia, erythropoietin, and heart failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anemia worsens HF prognosis. Clinical studies in patients with New York Heart Association Class III/IV HF who had hemoglobin <12 mg/dL and were refractory to maximal medical management showed that erythropoietin improves symptoms. Larger scale studies with mortality endpoints are required to confirm the benefits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In selected patients with severe, chronic HF, erythropoietin may be considered for functional improvement. However, routine use of this treatment strategy is not recommended until more data are available.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Krista
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Caiola
authors.forename: Judy W M
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006397:Hematinics; D004921:Erythropoietin