Causes of Anemia in Chronic Renal Failure

Written by Wu Ji
Nephrology
Updated on September 10, 2024
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The causes of anemia in chronic renal failure, also known as renal anemia, occur in chronic kidney disease and are related to chronic renal failure. There are multiple reasons for this anemia, such as the lack of raw materials for red blood cell production caused by chronic renal failure, including deficiencies in iron, folic acid, and vitamin B1, shortened lifespan of red blood cells, and blood loss including non-gastrointestinal blood loss. Moreover, uremic toxins including parathyroid hormone can suppress the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow. However, the primary cause is the decreased production of erythropoietin by the kidneys during chronic renal failure.

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What is best to eat for chronic renal failure?

Patients with chronic renal failure are advised to adopt a low-salt, low-fat, and high-quality protein diet. For those not undergoing dialysis, protein intake should be strictly controlled to 0.6 to 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Additionally, patients with stage 3 CKD or above often experience electrolyte disorders, such as hyperkalemia, which can lead to cardiac arrest and arrhythmias. Therefore, it is important to avoid foods high in potassium, such as bananas, oranges, dates, kiwis, and tomatoes. Due to the strict protein intake, hypoproteinemia may occur, and these patients are also prone to hyperphosphatemia. It is recommended to choose foods with a low phosphorus to protein ratio, generally those with a ratio below fifteen. After starting dialysis, the same principles apply, but protein intake can be slightly increased, as some protein is lost during both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. The protein intake can be adjusted to 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, while still controlling phosphorus and potassium intake.

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Can chronic kidney failure CKD5 be cured?

The so-called CKD refers to chronic kidney disease. According to the glomerular filtration rate, CKD is divided into 5 stages, where stage 5 means that the patient's glomerular filtration rate has fallen below 15 milliliters per minute, which is equivalent to uremia. Chronic renal failure is irreversible and cannot be recovered, so it is impossible for patients whose condition has progressed to later stages to recover. Therefore, for such conditions, the only option is to choose renal replacement therapy so that the patient can survive. Renal replacement therapy mainly includes hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or kidney transplantation.

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What are the symptoms of chronic kidney failure?

Chronic kidney failure generally may have some clinical symptoms, but many patients do not have any discomfort. Some common clinical symptoms mainly include increased urine foam and decreased urine output. Due to the decline in renal function for urine excretion, it can lead to edema, particularly in areas such as both ankles and the face. In the state of renal failure, patients may also experience hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis. Due to metabolic acidosis, patients might exhibit deep and labored breathing. In the advanced stages of kidney failure, patients may suffer from renal anemia, leading to fatigue and potentially experiencing bone pain and susceptibility to fractures due to renal osteodystrophy.

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Can chronic renal failure become pregnant?

Although patients with renal failure are not absolutely unable to become pregnant, pregnancy is ultimately a burden on the kidneys. Pregnant patients with renal failure may experience further deterioration of kidney function and may face numerous complications during pregnancy, such as heart failure, severe anemia, etc., which may pose some risks. However, there are still very rare case reports, including successful pregnancies in patients on dialysis for uremia, but the probability of this is extremely small, and the risks involved are too great. Generally speaking, it is not recommended for female patients with chronic renal failure to become pregnant.

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Can chronic renal failure reproduce?

Patients with chronic renal failure, if they are male, can attempt to conceive under the guidance of a clinic doctor after discontinuing the use of medications that affect fertility; usually, there are no major issues for male patients. However, for female patients, attempting to get pregnant carries a significant risk because pregnancy increases the burden on all organs, including the kidneys, which can exacerbate kidney diseases, especially in cases like lupus nephritis. Nevertheless, not all patients with chronic renal failure are absolutely unable to conceive; some have successfully managed the risks associated with pregnancy. In such cases, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons.