Anemia is highly prevalent in chronic heart failure, ranging from 4% to 23% in ambulatory populations to 30% to 61% in those with comorbid kidney disease, advanced age, or severe symptoms.
A nemia occurs commonly in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and has been proposed as a novel therapeutic target in this patient population.The present review will summarize the current knowledge of the prevalence, causative factors, and pathophysiological correlates of anemia in CHF.Potential risks and benefits of therapy with erythropoietic agents for the treatment of anemia in CHF will also be discussed. Prevalence of Anemia in CHF]3456789101112131415 Variability in estimated prevalence is partly attributable to use of inconsistent definitions of anemia in individual reports.The World Health Organization definition of anemia (hemoglobin concentration Ͻ13.0 g/dL in men and Ͻ12.0 g/dL in women) takes into account known gender differences in distribution of hemoglobin values, 16 whereas the National Kidney Foundation defines anemia as hemoglobin Յ12 g/dL in men and postmenopausal women. 17These standard definitions of anemia are not based on wellestablished physiological or population norms.Published reports in CHF populations have used these and other study-specific definitions of anemia (including other arbitrary or statistically defined hemoglobin and hematocrit categories and administrative diagnostic codes from hospital records).Despite these inconsistencies in the definition of anemia cases, most studies indicate that the prevalence of anemia is increased in CHF populations with comorbid kidney disease, advanced age, and more severe symptoms (range, 30% to 61%) when compared with less symptomatic ambulatory populations (range, 4% to 23%).In patients with CHF and preserved ejection fraction, the few published reports indicate that anemia is also highly prevalent in this group.
Tang et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Chronic heart failure. Anemia is highly prevalent in chronic heart failure, ranging from 4% to 23% in ambulatory populations to 30% to 61% in those with comorbid kidney disease, advanced age, or severe symptoms.