“What is the connection between low hemoglobin and CKD?”
My father has very low hemoglobin levels which has now gone down to 7. He also is a CKD patient. Is there a connection between CKD and low hemoglobin?
4 Answers
The normal kidney makes a hormone called erythropoietin, which "talks" to the bone marrow to make more red blood cells, what we measure with a hemoglobin level. As the kidneys worsen, less erythropoietin is produced, so anemia ) a low hemoglobin) occurs
Hemoglobin is down, which shows kidney function is not good and worse.
One of the many functions of the kidneys is to produce a hormone called erythropoietin that stimulates the bone marrow to make hemoglobin & red blood cells. When kidney function is decreased, the production of erythropoietin is also decreased. As a result, anemia is a common concomitant of chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is important that any nutritional deficiencies (iron, B Vitamins) be detected & if present, corrected. Once that is done, the anemia of CKD can be treated with injection of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESAs) - erythropoietin & others.
Steven A. Burka, MD, FACP, FASN
Steven A. Burka, MD, FACP, FASN
Low EPO
