Embargoed) CHAPEL HILL —
Anemia, a condition arising when the blood contains too few red cells and hence not enough of the oxygen-carrying pigment known as hemoglobin, appears to be an under-appreciated contributor to problems associated with congestive heart failure (CHF), a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill cardiologist says.
That’s important, he says, because an estimated 25 percent of all Americans over age 40 will develop heart failure before they die.
“Five million or so people have been diagnosed with, and are living with, congestive heart failure,” said Dr. Kirkwood F. Adams Jr. “Because of changes in the age of our population, that number is predicted to double within a decade, and as a result, both the economic burden and the magnitude of CHF in terms of sickness and death will continue to grow. In the past, anemia has been a neglected aspect of the condition, and that needs to change if we’re going to serve patients well.”
Associate professor of medicine and radiology and director of the UNC Heart Failure Program, Adams prepared his remarks for delivery Thursday (June 6) at an American Medical Association briefing on anemia in New York City.
Raising hemoglobin levels through treatment with drugs that mimic erythropoietin, which boosts red cell production, might help CHF patients by improving heart function and improving their limited ability to exercise, the physician said. Researchers already have made significant progress in treating CHF in recent years, particularly with such drugs as beta-blockers. “But up to 40 percent of patients can’t take beta-blockers long-term, and so
seeking additional treatments is still important,” Adams said.
e-Med Tools
קצר קולע וממוקד
e-Med סמינרים
אי-מד תחקירים
Medscape Tools
Journal Club
מרכזי מידע ושירות
Facebook
מידע למפרסם
מאגר תרופות
מאגר אנשי המקצוע
אינדקס שימושי
חדשות משה"ב
eMed HealthClub
מחקרים קליניים
השאירו תגובה
רוצה להצטרף לדיון?תרגישו חופשי לתרום!