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What is Anemia and Why Am I Tired?, continued


How is Anemia Diagnosed?

A laboratory test called a hematocrit is often used to determine the amount of red blood cells present in your body. The test shows the percentage of volume of the blood that is comprised of red blood cells. For instance, if 50 percent of one ounce of your blood is made up of red blood cells, then you'd be said to have a hematocrit of 50. A normal hematocrit level is in the range of 38 to 47 for women and 42 to 50 for men. Typically, women have lower hematocrit levels because they lose blood regularly due to their menstrual cycles. Also, male hormones stimulate bone marrow to produce red blood cells to a greater degree than female hormones do.

A better indicator of anemia is your hemoglobin level, determined by the number of grams of hemoglobin present in 100 ml of blood. Normal hemoglobin levels for women are in the 12.5 to 15 range. Normal hemoglobin levels for men are in the 14 to 16 range.

If your health care practitioner suspects that your iron levels are low, you may need to be tested. There are two laboratory tests that are used to check your iron level: One is transferrin saturation (TSAT), and the other is ferritin.


Treatment of Anemia

Most cases of anemia in people with kidney disease are the result of lack of EPO. Therefore, the most common treatment for anemia is EPO. This protein hormone cannot be administered by mouth so it is given either intravenously (IV) or through injection.

If TSAT and ferritin test results show that you are low in iron, you may need to take iron supplements, either orally or intravenously. Often ferrous sulfate will be prescribed as an oral supplement to help you with iron deficiency.

Many times a person receiving EPO injections will develop iron deficiency and so must begin taking an oral iron supplement. If you receive EPO injections, you should talk to your health care provider about your iron levels.

Although most CKD patients will develop anemia at some point, it can be diagnosed and treated.

Reprinted with permission by DaVita, Inc. Get more answers at DaVita.com.