Anemia: Fast Facts (Peer reviewed publications)
Anemia is a powerful predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events
Researchers reported the findings of a study performed to evaluate the association between cardiovascular clinical outcomes and baseline hemoglobin. Data on 39,922 patients were evaluated and revealed anemia is an independent and powerful predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events. When hemoglobin values dropped below 14 g/dL, patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction experienced an increase in cardiovascular mortality and heart failure. When hemoglobin fell below 11 g/dL in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes, there was an increase in the odds of recurrent ischemia, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death. Please see this month's edition of AnemiaWatch for a detailed description of this study and findings at http://www.anemia.org/professionals.
Source: Sabatine MS, Morrow DA, Giugliano RP, et al. Association of hemoglobin levels with clinical outcomes in acute coronary syndromes. Circulation. 2005;11:2042-9.
Hemoglobin levels effect short-term cardiovascular mortality
The findings of a recent retrospective study conducted on 1,841 consecutive patients admitted with an acute myocardial infarction (MI) were reported in the International Journal of Cardiology. The researchers studied patients with acute and found a statistically significant increase in 30-day mortality in patients presenting with hemoglobin concentrations <10 g/dL after adjusting for multiple variables. Please see this month's edition of AnemiaWatch for a detailed description of this study and findings at http://www.anemia.org/professionals.
Source: Lipsic E, van der Horst ICC, Voors AA, et al. Hemoglobin levels and 30-day mortality in patients after myocardial infarction. Int J Cardiol. 2005;100:289-92.
Meta-analysis evaluates the effect of epoetin alfa on left ventricular hypertrophy and mortality
Researchers postulated epoetin alfa may provide survival benefits and amelioration of anemia and LVH based on the findings of a meta-analysis conducted utilizing the MEDLINE® and EMBASE® databases from January 1985 to October 2000. A systematic literature review was conducted of literature addressing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) or cardiomegaly in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) on epoetin alfa therapy, and morbidity and mortality related to these conditions. Please see this month's edition of AnemiaWatch for a detailed description of this study and findings at http://www.anemia.org/professionals.
Source: Jones M, Schenkel B, Just J. Epoetin alfa's effect on left ventricular hypertrophy and subsequent mortality. Int J Cardiol. 2005;100:253-65.
Article reviews iron deficiency and therapeutic advancements
The American Journal of Hematology published an article which provided a detailed summary of the epidemiology, physiology, clinical presentation and treatment options of iron deficiency. The author reviewed prevalence rates, spanning patient populations from infants to the elderly worldwide. A detailed review of the physiology of iron followed, discussing biochemical and cellular functions involved with iron transport, absorption, utilization, and resultant complications such as anemia. The article goes on to discuss the signs and symptoms of iron deficiency and therapeutic options. The preferred treatment is oral iron in the form of ferrous iron salts due to their solubility and ease of absorption. Intramuscular or intravenous iron administration was reviewed, with dosing and length of treatment recommended for all iron solutions. In addition, the various adverse effects associated with iron administration are described.
Source: Umbreit J. Iron deficiency: A concise review. Am J Hematol. 2005;78:225-31.
Study examines the association between Hb concentration and 5-year all-cause mortality and serum erythropoietin5
The findings of a prospective study conducted on a total of 686 women over the age of 65 with moderate-to-severe disability were reported in the Journal of the International Geriatrics Society. The study was conducted to examine associations between hemoglobin levels and serum erythropoietin and 5-year all-cause mortality in order to determine the relevance of mildly low Hb levels. Based on their findings, the researchers reported hemoglobin levels higher than levels currently recommended may offer significant health advantages. Please see this month's edition of AnemiaWatch for a detailed description of this study and findings at http://www.anemia.org/professionals.
Source: Chaves PH, Xue QL, Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Volpato S, Fried LP. What constitutes normal hemoglobin concentration in community-dwelling disabled older women? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004;52:1811-6.
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