NEW ORLEANS — Poor kidney function is the strongest indicator for anemia in heart failure patients, according to the results of a large study of HMO patients.
A reduced glomerular filtration rate emerged as the strongest risk factor for developing anemia in 41,754 heart failure (HF) patients free of anemia at baseline, Alan S. Go, M.D., reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association.
Anemia was a common occurrence in this HMO population with HF, with an incidence of 9% per year, according to Dr. Go of Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Oakland. The study featured nearly 83,000 person-years of follow-up.
Chronic renal impairment is extremely common among HF patients. Roughly 40% of patients had a baseline glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m
Among those patients with a baseline GFR less than 15 mL/min per 1.73 m
Other independent predictors of the development of anemia in a multivariate analysis included cirrhosis, with an adjusted 2.3-fold relative risk, compared with noncirrhotic patients, and HIV infection, which conferred an 80% increase in risk. African descent and age greater than 70 years were each associated with a 40% increased risk of becoming anemic, Dr. Go said.