Fatigue Safely Possibly Partially

[ironj...@aol.com]

This article concludes .. "We know we been killing ya"

"But we feel that you or some of you anyhow might STILL wish to get a
little get up and go while you are on dialysis soooo we have shown we
STILL can use this killer erythropoietin in those of you who we
believe it won't kill" ..

DGNews

Anaemia Treatment Improves Quality of Life in Some Kidney Disease
Patients

WASHINGTON, DC -- April 1, 2009 -- In some patients with chronic
kidney disease (CKD), different levels of anaemia treatment have a
beneficial effect on the heart and improve quality of life, according
to a pair of studies appearing in the April 2009 issue of the Clinical
Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

Although synthetic erythropoietin partially corrects anaemia in
patients with CKD by increasing haemoglobin levels, recent clinical
trials suggest that higher levels of erythropoietin may result in
serious adverse effects, including death.

Two studies by Patrick Parfrey, MD, Memorial University of
Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, and colleagues examined the
effects of different levels of anaemia treatment on heart structure
and quality of life in patients with CKD.

The first study was a systematic review of published data on the
effects of anaemia on the heart. By analysing 15 available studies
involving 1,731 patients with kidney disease, the investigators found
that partial correction of severe anaemia with erythropoietin improved
heart structure, but fully correcting anaemia provided no additional
benefit.

The second study assessed whether normalisation of haemoglobin
improves quality of life in patients with kidney disease. The study
was conducted because anaemia-induced fatigue is a prominent symptom
in patients with kidney disease.

In a randomised trial performed in the EU and Canada, Dr. Parfrey and
colleagues enrolled 596 relatively healthy patients starting dialysis.
The researchers found that patients experienced less fatigue when they
were treated with erythropoietin to reach a normal haemoglobin level
compared with patients who were treated to achieve only partial
correction of anaemia.

Erythropoietin therapy can provide some benefits such as reduced
fatigue, but investigators concluded that the recommended haemoglobin
target range is 10 to 12 g/dl. Treating patients to reach a normal
haemoglobin level (> 13 g/dl) does not improve heart structure and can
cause significant harm to patients.

"It is possible that patients at low risk of an adverse side effect
from erythropoietin therapy would value the improvement in quality of
life provided by the higher haemoglobin level," said Dr. Parfrey.
"However the cost of this improvement in quality of life will be high,
because erythropoietin is expensive."

The authors noted that the large trial of 4,000 diabetic patients with
chronic kidney disease (TREAT) will end this year and should provide
additional information on the benefits and harms of prescribing
erythropoietin to achieve a normal haemoglobin level.

SOURCE: American Society of Nephrology

Who loves ya.
Tom

Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://tinyurl.com/2r2nkh

Man Is A Herbivore!
http://tinyurl.com/4rq595

DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk