[Principles of iron therapy in hemodialysis patients]

Anemia associated with chronic renal disease remains a major concern for nephrologists as it significantly increases the morbidity and mortality in this patient group. The introduction of erythropoietin has dramatically changed the treatment of anemia in uremic patients. However, some patients showed hyporesponsiveness to erythropoietin because of inadequate iron supply to the erythroid bone marrow. Patients undergoing chronic intermittent hemodialysis are especially vulnerable to iron deficiency due to blood loss during the hemodiaylsis sessions, gastrointestinal bleeding and compromised gastrointestinal absorption. Demand for iron is also increased by the treatment for anemia with erythropoietin. Intravenous administration is more effective than oral iron supplemantation in renal failure patients. Some studies have raised concerns of the potential serious side effects associated with intravenous iron administration. Besides anaphylactic reactions that were reported to occur in less than 1% of patients treated with iron dextran and have not been associated with other iron formulations, concerns about the long-term use of iron include the increased risk of infections and oxidative stress with consequent cardiovascular disease. Therapy with dextran-free iron formulations is an essential part of anemia treatment protocols, and was not found to be associated with either short- or long-term serious side effects.