Influence of the current management of renal transplant recipients on the prevalence of anemia and related costs.

Abstract The use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and renin-angiotensin system blockers (RAB) to prevent and treat chronic graft nephropathy may affect the incidence of anemia in renal transplant recipients. We compared 2 sets of cadaver-donor recipients, namely those followed at the end of 1995 (group 1; n = 252) versus 2003 (group 2; n = 530) in terms of general characteristics, incidence of anemia (hemoglobin [Hb] ≤13 g/L males, 12 g/L females) or severe anemia (Hb ≤11 g/L males, 10 g/L females) and use cost of treatment with erythropoietin (EPO). Group 2 was significantly older, heavier and longer since grafting. Fifty-seven percent received MMF, 21% received azathioprine, and 5% received rapamycin. In group 1, 83% were given azathioprine. RAB were administered to 35.1% in group 2 versus 14.7% in group 1 ( P P P P