Prevalence of anemia and its management among chronic kidney disease patients in Malaysia

This study assessed the prevalence of anemia, its severity and types among Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients. The study also evaluated the current prescribing pattern of medicine for anemia management among CKD patients. It also identified the demographic and clinical predictors affecting the prevalence of anemia among CKD patients. The study was done retrospectively in a hospital for 3 months (June 2019 to August 2019). Convenient sampling was used and 140 patients were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria using a purpose-designed data collection form. The median age of CKD patients was 67 years (IQR=14). The majority of CKD patients had more than 3 comorbidities (43.60%) and the common comorbidities were DM, hypertension, dys-lipidemia and heart diseases. Most of the CKD patients were in advanced stages of CKD where 30% (n = 42) of patients were in stage 4, followed by 28.6% (n = 40) of patients were in stage 5 (ESRF) and 18.6% (n = 26) of patients were in stage 3a. The prevalence of anemia among CKD patients reported was 47.9% (n = 67). There were 62.7% (n = 42) of CKD patients with mild anemia and followed by 37.3% (n = 25) with moderate anemia and the common types of anemia were normocytic and normochromic anemia. Elderly and Malay CKD patients were having more in-cidence of anemia. There were more female anemic patients (58.2%) than males (41.8%). The advanced stages of CKD had a higher prevalence of anemia. Most patients were on triple therapy and the most prescribed medicine was vitamin B complex. The common combination of medicines used were iron agent, Vitamin B complex and folic acid (65.67 %). Overall, the prevalence of anemia among CKD patients was lower in male patients and increases in patients with advanced CKD stages. The prevalence of anemia among CKD patients increases with declining kidney function and triple therapy were given commonly in managing anemia among CKD patients.