Introduction: Suboptimal correction of anemia is associated with increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and increased morbidity and mortality of pre-dialysis and dialysis patients. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of optimal vs. suboptimal correction of anemia in hemodialysis patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.
Material and methods: The study included 50 patients, 32 males and 18 females, their mean age being 49.4±11.8 years, from five hemodialysis centers (Clinical Hospital Center Zvezdara, Beograd, Clinical Center Novi Sad, hospitals in Krusevac, Pirot and Zrenjanin). The patients had suboptimal hemoglobin level in spite of therapy (7.8±3.8 g/dl). In addition, the most important inclusion criteria was the left ventricular mass index above 160 g/m2 and the primary efficacy parameter was a decrease in the left ventricular mass index during 12 month study period.
Results: During the study, the number of patients who reached their hemoglobin >12 g/dl increased and the target hemoglobin (12-13 g/dl) was achieved in 24 (52%) of patients at the end of the study. At the same time, the left ventricular mass index significantly decreased as compared with the initial values (p=0.014). The left ventricular mass index was not significantly decreased in the patients who did not achieve the target hemoglobin level (207±65 vs. 217±38 g, p=ns) as compared with the patients who achieved the target hemoglobin (179±32 g/ m2 vs. 197±38 g/m2, p=0.007). The left ventricular ejection fraction did not change significantly during the study period.
Conclusion: Anemia correction with erythropoietin β resulted in the significantly corrected left ventricular hypertrophy in hemodialysis patients who had had a suboptimal hemoglobin level. Our results have shown that correction of left ventricular hypertrophy