Anemia of Chronic Kidney Disease in India: Consensus Guidelines of Indian Society of Nephrology

Anemia is common in patients with CKD and ESKD, with a 50% prevalence in the USA and higher in India. The overall prevalence of anemia in CKD is twice the general population, increasing with CKD progression. The last guidelines for anemia in India were published in 2013 by the Indian Society of Nephrology (ISN). There is a need for revised guidelines/consensus statements incorporating the significant developments in patient monitoring and treatment, which have occurred in the last decade to guide evidence-based clinical practice, especially for the Indian population. We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, and CINAHL databases to perform a systematic review of the literature examining anemia prevention and treatment in adult CKD/ESKD patients, with 29 studies identified out of 1668 records screened. We then performed data extraction to write consensus guidelines and rationale, with supplemental literature evidence discussing the diagnosis and management of CKD and ESKD anemia patients in an Indian context.