{"id":3096,"date":"2019-07-17T13:31:53","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T13:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edren.org\/ren\/?page_id=3096"},"modified":"2020-11-09T11:43:22","modified_gmt":"2020-11-09T11:43:22","slug":"anaemia-causes-investigation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edren.org\/ren\/education\/textbook\/anaemia-in-renal-disease\/anaemia-causes-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Education: Anaemia in Renal Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anaemia in Renal Disease<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Renal anaemia is a normochromic normocytic anaemia that increases in severity as renal function declines. There are a number of explanations for anaemia in patients with renal failure, but deficiency of erythropoietin (EPO) is usually dominant when patients are nearing end-stage. <\/span>EPO is a hormone produced by the kidneys in response to an anaemic hypoxic stimulus; it acts to correct anaemia by stimulating red cell production in the bone marrow. Anaemia due to EPO deficiency can occur with any stage of CKD, but does not usually develop until eGFR is less than 30ml\/min\/1.73m2<\/sup> \u00a0(<45\/min\/1.73m2<\/sup> in patients with diabetes) and worsens with declining renal function.1<\/sup> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

EPO replacement therapy was developed in the 1980’s, and its use has now become widespread. It has revolutionised the management of renal anaemia, which was previously dependent on repeated blood transfusions and use of androgenic steroids. The majority of patients who require renal replacement therapy will require EPO replacement; the one notable exception to this rule is patients with polycystic kidney disease, who often do not develop EPO deficiency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, patients with renal disease are susceptible to anaemia for many reasons, not only EPO deficiency.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Anaemia<\/a><\/p>\n


\nOther causes of anaemia in patients with renal failure include:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n