Causes of Renal Anemia for Patients with Chronic Renal Failure

Renal anemia is a common complication of Chronic Renal Failure. At the same time, it is also a risk factor in accelerating Renal Failure progression and increase the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and death rate. The common causes of renal anemia include the following factors.

1. Under common conditions, about 90% of EPO is secreted by kidneys. However, for patients with Chronic Renal Failure, their renal functions decline seriously so their kidneys can not secrete enough EPO, which is the main cause of renal anemia. The severity of renal anemia accords with the severity of renal damage. When GFR is above 30 ml/min, most of the patients’ hemoglobin level still keeps in the normal range. When GFR is less than 35 ml/min and GFR below 45 ml/min for patients with Diabetic Nephropathy, they begin to have anemia.

2. For patients with Chronic Renal Failure, their blood contains some factors that can restraint the production of hemoglobin and proliferation of red blood cells thus causing renal anemia.

3. Malnutrition is an important cause of renal anemia

(1) The patients with Chronic Renal Failure often have gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, the patients can not get enough raw materials of blood thus causing renal anemia.

(2) Bleeding in digestive tract, frequent blood tests can cause microelement loss.

(3) The using of EPO can consume massive marrowiron.

About 25~33% of patients with Chronic Renal Failure are often are accompanied with iron insufficiency.

(4) Phosphate binders can restrain the absorption of iron.

4. Active bleeding

For patients with Chronic Renal Failure, they have platelet dysfunction, coagulation factor deficiencies, which can cause bleeding in digestive tract. Moreover, in dialysis, the patients often use heparin for anti-freezing, which can increase the blood tendency. Also some blood may remain in dialysis machine and stress ulcer and so on, which are also causes of renal anemia.

5. The life expectancy of red blood cells shortens, which is also a cause of renal anemia. Uremic toxins can damage the membrane of red blood cells thus increasing the fragility of red blood cells. It can cause hemolysis and then shorten the red cells' life expectancy.


As renal anemia is caused by decline renal function, in order to get rid of renal anemia, the patients should firstly treat the fundamental causes of the disease. If you want to get a professional advices based on your specific disease condition, you can consul us on line or email to kidney-treatment@hotmial.com.