Kidney Disease Anemia

Research has established that patients suffering from chronic Kidney Disease have a high risk of developing an anemia condition. When a patient suffers from anemia after having a preexisting chronic kidney disease, we refer to that condition as kidney disease anemia.

The human blood incorporates two types of cells namely the white blood cells and the red blood cells. The white blood cells protect the body from infections while red blood cells primarily transport oxygen from your lungs to the muscle tissues throughout your body. Red blood cells are made up of a red protein called hemoglobin, which mixes with oxygen and is thus transmitted to muscle sites.

Now, anemia is the condition that results when a person has low numbers of the red blood cells in the blood. If the red blood cells are below normal, there will be a marked decrease in the available hemoglobin for oxygen transportation. To test the amount of red blood cells in the blood, medics conduct the hematocrit test, which basically represents a percentage of blood occupied by red blood cells.

If for instance you have 40% of each one ounce of your blood is occupied by the red blood cells, then you have a hematocrit of 40%. A normal hematocrit measure should be 36% to 51%. Men have a higher hematocrit level than normal women, given that women live with regular blood to the menstrual cycle. For one to be diagnosed of kidney disease anemia, he or she must display a hematocrit less than 42%. If it is less than 36%, the anemia is acute.

So what is the connection between kidney disease and anemia? Red blood cells in the body are manufactured at the bone marrow sites consequent to the influence and regulation of the erythropoietin hormone (EPO). The EPO hormone is primarily produced in the human kidneys. If therefore a person has kidney disease, it will mean that even the production of the EPO hormone is severely affected. The worse or rather the more chronic the kidney disease, the severe the decrease of red blood cells produced by a person's bone marrow. Consequently, in almost all cases of chronic kidney disease, the patient develops an anemia condition.

However, the degree of chronic kidney disease anemia is also influenced by other nutritional factors like inadequate intakes of minerals, proteins and vitamins useful in the production of red blood. Heavy blood loss consequent to menstrual periods, injuries or surgery may make the anemia more serious. To bring down the effect of chronic kidney disease anemia, proper dieting must be the rule of the thumb.

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