Iron deficiency associates with deterioration in several symptoms independently from hemoglobin level among chronic hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Background While iron deficiency (ID) is a frequent cause of anemia in hemodialysis patients, the clinical impact of ID without anemic level of hemoglobin remains unclear. As such, this study was designed to clarify the manifestations of ID itself in subjects on hemodialysis. Methods Maintenance hemodialysis patients achieving target hemoglobin levels ( 10.0g/dL) under treatment in our clinic were stratified for comparison from three perspectives: ID (transferrin saturation [TSAT] < 20% or ferritin < 100ng/mL) vs non-ID, level of TSAT (< or 20%), and level of serum ferritin concentration