Amgen initiates study into heart failure and anemia

“Numerous epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated that lower hemoglobin values, reflecting a condition known as anemia, are associated with increased hospitalizations and mortality in heart failure patients,” said Dr James Young, chairman of the Division of Medicine at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, and co-chair of the Executive Committee for this trial.

“These studies have generated a very strong hypothesis that if you raise hemoglobin values with darbepoetin alfa, you can improve outcomes in this patient population. This landmark trial will test this important hypothesis.”

According to the American Heart Association, approximately five million Americans and over four million Europeans suffer from heart failure. Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization for people over the age of 65 years and causes almost one million hospitalizations each year.

This condition results in decreased oxygen delivery to the body due to a poorly functioning heart. Anemia reduces the oxygen content of the blood. When both heart failure and anemia occur together, oxygen delivery is further hampered, leading to a worsened condition for the patient.

Although anemia is a common condition in heart failure patients, physicians caring for them have typically overlooked anemia in the absence of definitive studies suggesting that it should be treated.