Prevalence and correlates of anemia and uncontrolled anemia in chronic hemodialysis patients--the Campania Dialysis Registry.
BACKGROUND
This study investigated prevalence and correlates of anemia and uncontrolled anemia in chronic hemodialysis patients.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis was performed on registry data for 2,746 chronic (>6 months) hemodialysis patients aged 25-84. Data collection included years of dialysis, hours of dialysis/wk, disease causing hemodialysis, body mass index (BMI), erythropoietin (EPO) treatment, hemoglobin, markers of viral hepatitis, serum albumin, calcium, and phosphorus.


RESULTS
Prevalence was 88.7% for anemia (hemoglobin <11 g/100 mL and EPO treatment at any Hb level), 39.4% for uncontrolled anemia (hemoglobin<11 g/100 mL). Gender, years of dialysis, hereditary cystic kidney disease (HCKD), and low BMI (<24 kg/m2) were independent correlates of anemia (P<0.001). Gender, HCKD, low BMI, serum albumin and calcium were independent correlates of uncontrolled anemia (P<0.05). An interaction was found between age (not correlated with anemia and uncontrolled anemia) and the association of gender with uncontrolled anemia (P<0.05). EPO doses were higher in patients with high prevalence of uncontrolled anemia than in patients with low prevalence (i.e., women vs men, other diseases vs HCKD, low vs not-low BMI, P<0.01). Gender, years of dialysis, HCKD, BMI, serum albumin, and calcium were independent correlates of the hemoglobin/EPO dose ratio in patients on EPO treatment (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Anemia and uncontrolled anemia are more frequent in hemodialysis patients with shortterm dialysis, diseases other than HCKD, low BMI, and female gender. Gender effect was lower in elderly patients. Uncontrolled anemia was also associated with low serum albumin and calcium, suggesting that these parameters are indices of EPO resistance.
Di Iorio
B
B
Department of Nephrology, Second University of Naples, Naples - Italy. br.diiorio@libero.it
Cirillo
M
M
Bellizzi
V
V
Stellato
D
D
De Santo
N G
NG
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D052177:Kidney Diseases, Cystic / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D006397:Hematinics; D006454:Hemoglobins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D004921:Erythropoietin; D010758:Phosphorus; D002118:Calcium