Authors: Merlin Thomas; Con Tsalamandris; Richard MacIsaac; George Jerums

Source: Current Diabetes Reviews, Volume 1, Number 1, January 2005 , pp. 107-126(20)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Diabetes as the dominant cause of ESRD is also the major cause of renal anaemia. However, most patients with diabetic kidney disease will succumb to co-morbid vascular disease or heart failure before developing severe renal impairment. In these patients, anaemia is also common finding, with a 2-3 times greater prevalence and earlier onset than in patients with renal impairment from other causes. We have recently shown that at least one in five outpatients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in tertiary referral clinics have anaemia, in whom it constitutes a significant additional burden. Impaired renal erythropoietin release in response to declining haemoglobin levels appears to be the major contributor to anaemia in diabetes. This may be due to the predominance of damage to cells and vascular architecture of the renal tubulointerstitium associated with diabetic nephropathy that may be apparent, like albuminuria, before demonstrable changes in renal function. In addition, systemic inflammation, autonomic neuropathy and reduce red cell survival may also compound anaemia in diabetes. While anaemia may be considered a marker of diabetic kidney disease, reduced haemoglobin levels, even within the normal range, identify diabetic patients with an increased risk of hospitalisation and mortality. Anaemia may also be significant in determining the outcome of heart failure and hypoxia-induced organ damage in patients with diabetes. Upcoming studies will determine whether correction of anaemia in diabetes will lead to improved outcomes in these patients.

Keywords: anemia; diabetes; diabetic nephropathy; erythropoietin; haemoglobin; microvascular

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573399052952587

Affiliations: 1: Danielle Alberti Memorial Centre for Diabetic Complications, Baker Medical Research Institute, P.O. Box 6492, Melbourne, VIC 8008, Australia.

Publication date: 2005-01-01

More about this publication?

• Current Diabetes Reviews publishes frontier reviews on all the latest advances on diabetes and its related areas e.g. pharmacology, pathogenesis, complications, epidemiology, clinical care, and therapy.
  
  The journal's aim is to publish the highest quality review articles dedicated to clinical research in the field. The journal is essential reading for all researchers and clinicians who are involved in the field of diabetes.

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