Nutritional and inflammatory status influence darbepoetin dose in pre-dialysis elderly patients

Anaemia is a common finding in elderly patients particularly in those with chronic kidney disease. Effective correction of anaemia improves survival and quality of life. The association between anaemia and a poor nutritional status as well as the presence of inflammation has already been documented. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of the nutritional and inflammatory status on darbepoetin dose requirements of elderly patients followed in a "Chronic Kidney Disease" outpatient clinic. We included 71 elderly patients (age>or=65 years) in a "Chronic Kidney Disease" outpatient clinic. Creatinine Clearance (CrCl) was estimated according to the Cockroft-Gault equation. Nutritional status was evaluated by biochemical and anthropometric parameters. Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were used as biomarkers of inflammation. Our patients (56% males) with a mean age of 76.2+/-6.6 years were followed for 33.1+/-43.6 months. Mean eCrCl was 13.5+/-7.2 ml/mn/1.73 m2. All patients were under supplemental iron therapy and 74.7% needed darbepoietin (0.762+/-0.6 (microg/kg/week) to correct anaemia. Among the several variables regressed on darbepoietin dose, in a multiple regression model, only Hb, IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels and SGA score predicted the need for higher doses of darbepoietin. (r=0.677; r2=0.459). In Conclusion, in our pre-dialysis elderly patients, markers of a poor nutritional status (SGA and albumin) and inflammation (IL-6 and TNF-alpha) independently predicted the use of higher doses of darbepoietin to correct anaemia.