Rare Medical News
Advertisement
Spotlight On
Anemia - CKD
Anemia - CKD is a rare hematologic condition affecting blood cells or coagulation, with risks of anemia, bleeding, thrombosis, or marrow dysfunction
Prevalence
Uknown
US Estimated
Uknown
Europe Estimated
Age of Onset
All ages
ICD-10
D63.1
Inheritance Pattern
Autosomal dominant
Autosomal recessive
Mitochondrial/Multigenic
X-linked dominant
X-linked recessive
5 Facts you should know
FACT
Anemia commonly occurs in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) due to decreased erythropoietin production and impaired red blood cell function
FACT
Diagnosis involves assessing hemoglobin levels and determining the underlying cause, often through additional tests like iron studies and bone marrow examination
FACT
Treatment options for anemia in CKD include erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), iron supplementation, and, in some cases, blood transfusions
FACT
Anemia in CKD is primarily caused by decreased production of erythropoietin by the kidneys, coupled with iron deficiency and shortened red blood cell lifespan
FACT
5
Prognosis and management of anemia in CKD depend on its severity and the underlying kidney disease, aiming to alleviate symptoms and improve overall quality of life
Interest over time
Google searches
Common signs & symptoms
Often insidious; correlate with Hb level and comorbidity burden
Fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, dyspnea on exertion
Palpitations, tachycardia; worsening angina/heart failure symptoms
Pallor; dizziness; headaches; cognitive fog
Lab pattern: normocytic or mildly microcytic anemia; iron studies may show absolute or functional iron deficiency; inflammatory markers may be elevated
Current treatments
Treat reversible causes first (iron deficiency, bleeding, inflammation, B12/folate, hemolysis) per KDIGO approach
Iron therapy (oral or IV depending on severity, tolerance, and dialysis status)
ESAs (epoetin alfa, darbepoetin alfa, etc.)—use lowest effective dose; individualized Hb targets
HIF-PH inhibitors (US approvals are dialysis-focused)
- Daprodustat (Jesduvroq; GSK) for adults on dialysis ≥4 months
- Vadadustat (Vafseo; Akebia) for adults on dialysis (FDA approval 2024)
RBC transfusion when clinically necessary (symptoms, severe anemia, ESA nonresponse, urgent pre-op, etc.)
References:
- KDIGO. KDIGO 2025/2026 Clinical Practice Guideline for Anemia in CKD (guideline documents).
- FDA. JESDUVROQ (daprodustat) Prescribing Information. 2023.
- FDA. VAFSEO (vadadustat) Prescribing Information. 2024.