Erythropoietin improves anemia exercise tolerance and renal function and reduces B-type natriuretic peptide and hospitalization in patients with heart failure and anemia

Anemia is now recognized as being a common finding in CHF and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. However, it is uncertain whether the anemia is actually causing the worse prognosis or is merely a marker of more severe cardiac disease. Previous intervention studies with subcutaneous (sc) β-EPO in combination with iron have either been uncontrolled or case-controlled studies. We report a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the combination of sc EPO and oral iron versus oral iron alone in patients with anemia and resistant CHF. The present study examines, in patients with advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) and anemia, the effects of β-erythropoietin (EPO) and oral iron on the anemia and on cardiac and renal functional parameters. Forty consecutive subjects with moderate to severe CHF and anemia (hemoglobin [Hb]