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Anemia and Cardiovascular Disease, Hospitalization, End Stage Renal Disease, and Death in Older Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

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Abstract

Background: Large observational studies examining the association between anemia and “hard” clinical outcomes are rare in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: We used the General Medicare 5% Denominator Files to identify patients aged 67 years or more with CKD on December 31, 1999. Outcomes in the ensuing 2 years were compared in patients with and those without anemia (entry period, 1998–1999; follow-up period, 2000–2001).

Results: Of 41,522 CKD patients identified, 49.0% had claims of anemia diagnosis. The factors associated (p< 0.0001) with anemia included older age, female gender, black race, and all 10 comorbid conditions studied; adjusted odds ratios (ORs) exceeded 1.5 for age 80 years old or older (OR, 1.54 compared to <70 years), for black race (OR, 1.52), and for co-existing diagnoses of congestive heart failure (OR, 1.64), gastrointestinal bleeding (OR, 3.65), and liver disease (OR, 2.16). During the follow-up period, outcome event rates (expressed per 1000 patient-years) were as follows: renal replacement therapy, 23.5; death, 186.4; congestive heart failure, 390.0; atherosclerotic vascular disease, 410.5; and first hospitalization, 552.6. Using proportional hazards modeling, the presence of anemia was associated (p < 0.0001) with the following adjusted hazards ratios: atherosclerotic vascular disease, 1.09; congestive heart failure, 1.14; renal replacement therapy, 2.61 and death, 1.40. Conclusion: A diagnosis of anemia is present in nearly half of all patients with CKD, aged 67 years or more, a group at very high risk of cardiovascular disease, hospitalization, end-stage renal disease, and death. Anemia is associated with each of these events.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nephrology Analytical Services, Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, 914 South 8th Street, Suite D-206, Minneapolis, MN, 55404, USA

    Shuling Li, Robert N. Foley & Allan J. Collins

  2. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Robert N. Foley & Allan J. Collins

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  1. Shuling Li
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  2. Robert N. Foley
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Correspondence to Robert N. Foley.

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Li, S., Foley, R.N. & Collins, A.J. Anemia and Cardiovascular Disease, Hospitalization, End Stage Renal Disease, and Death in Older Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. Int Urol Nephrol 37, 395–402 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-004-3068-2

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