The relation between vitamin D status and anemia in patients with end stage renal disease on regular hemodialysis

Abstract

Introduction: Anemia is a common complication in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on regular hemodialysis (HD). There has been a lot of interest recently in the non-classical effects of 25(OH) vitamin D (calcidiol), including its association with erythropoiesis and anemia pathogenesis. Objectives: To study the relation between anemia and vitamin D status in patients on regular HD. Results: This study is a cross-sectional study that included 90 patients on regular HD. Vitamin D status was classified into deficient (<20 ng/ mL), insufficient (20-30 ng/mL) and sufficient (>30 ng/mL). The level of vitamin D measured in the patients ranged between 3.5 to 66 ng/mL with median of 16.35 ng/mL. There were statistically significant positive correlations between vitamin D levels and the level of hemoglobin (P<0.001), serum calcium levels (P<0.001) and serum PO4 levels (P=0.023). Higher hemoglobin levels were statistically related to both higher vitamin D values (P<0.001) and higher serum calcium concentration P<0.001). Meanwhile, a significant negative correlation was found between hemoglobin levels and serum PTH values (P<0.001). Conclusion: There was a significant association between the status of vitamin D and the level of hemoglobin in dialysis population who were studied, independent from iron status. other associations with hemoglobin levels included PTH level and calcium.