Renal Anaemia

Please note- The EPG Renal Anaemia Knowledge Centre is for Doctors and other Healthcare Professionals.
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MIRACEL is the first real-life study to investigate switching the treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients on dialysis from commonly used shorter-acting erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) directly to the once monthly administration of the drug Mircera®, using pre-filled syringes.

Initial results confirm that Mircera® maintains haemoglobin (Hb) levels in CKD patients within a narrow range. Read more about the MIRACEL study results

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is characterised by a gradual and permanent loss of kidney function that worsens as it progresses from stages 1 to 5. One of the most common complications of CKD is anaemia. Anaemia in patients with CKD causes debilitating weakness and fatigue, altered cognitive function, and a negative impact on quality of life and wellbeing.¹

Anaemia is defined as a reduction of the number of circulating red blood cells to below a certain threshold level. It is also described as a low haemoglobin concentration or a low volume of packed red cells².

Renal anaemia is secondary to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and it appears early in the course of CKD, worsening as it progresses.

Because renal anaemia impairs the delivery and utilization of oxygen to tissues and organs throughout the body, it has a wide range of effects on both quality of life and overall health and well being.²

CKD-related anaemia is a major public health concern. It is associated with an increased risk of morbidity, mortality and hospitalisation, diminished physical well-being and reduced patient quality of life.^3-6

Diagnosing renal anaemia is critical in establishing early and appropriate treatment in patients.

The priority in the treatment of anaemia is to correct the underlying factors that caused the anaemia and the specific treatment strategy depends on the cause of the anaemia.

There are a number of treatment guidelines available which provide information on the management of anaemia and CKD related anaemia. Treatment of renal anaemia can significantly improve overall health in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

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References:
1. Lefebvre P, Vekeman F, Sarokhan B, Enny C, Provenzano R, Cremieux PY. Relationship between hemoglobin level and quality of life in anemic patients with chronic kidney disease receiving epoetin alfa. Curr Med Res Opin. 2006;22:1929-1937.
2. NAAC (National Anemia Action Council) Anemia monograph. Available at http://anemia.org/professionals/monograph/ [Accessed June 2008].
3. Foley RN, Parfrey PS, Harnett JD, Kent GM, Murray DC, Barre PE. The impact of anemia on cardiomyopathy, morbidity, and and mortality in end-stage renal disease. Am J Kidney Dis. 1996;28:53–61.
4. Levin A, Thompson CR, Ethier J, Carlisle EJ, Tobe S, Mendelssohn D, Burgess E, Jindal K, Barrett B, Singer J, Djurdjev O. Left ventricular mass index increase in early renal disease: impact of decline in hemoglobin. Am J Kidney Dis. 1999;34:125–134.
5. Ofsthun N, Labrecque J, Lacson E, Keen M, Lazarus JM. The effects of higher hemoglobin levels on mortality and hospitalization in hemodialysis patients. Kidney Int. 2003;63:1908–1914.
6. Perlman RL, Finkelstein FO, Liu L, Roys E, Kiser M, Eisele G, Burrows-Hudson S, Messana JM, Levin N, Rajagopalan S, Port FK, Wolfe RA, Saran R. Quality of life in chronic kidney disease (CKD): a cross-sectional analysis in the Renal Research Institute-CKD study. Am J Kidney Dis. 2005;45:658–666.