Effect of once-weekly subcutaneous darbepoetin administration on blood pressure, kidney function and quality of live in anemic predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Background In this study we presented the results of anemia treatment with darbepoetin alfa in 18 patients with chronic kidney disease (3-5 stage of CKD) in predialysis period and its influence on blood pressure, quality of live and the rate of progression of chronic kidney disease.
Results After 10 weeks of darbepoetin alfa administration at the dose of 10 μg/week, hemoglobin serum level had increased over 11 g/dl in 15 patients. In the 3 patients serum hemoglobin level during the darbepoetin a treatment did not increased, in 4 out of 15 patients after 10 weeks of darbepoetin a treatment at the dose of 10 μg/week and in 7 after 15 weeks of the treatment at the dose of 7.5 μg/weeks hemoglobin serum level had increased over 13 g/dl. After 2 months without darbepoetin alfa treatment hemoglobin serum level had decreased but still maintain the target level of 11 g/dl. Darbepoetin alfa was well tolerated.
Conclusions Darbepoietin treatment did not change the blood pressure, significantly improved the quality of live but did not slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.