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Study: Anemia Sometimes Over-treated With Epogen

Patients getting dialysis at large, profit-driven kidney dialysis centers may be receiving higher-than-normal doses of Epogen, Procrit, and similar anemia drugs, posing potentially fatal side effects risks for patients.

A typical dialysis center in a hospital setting administered an average dose amount of 16,188 units a week of Epogen. However, researchers found that for-profit dialysis chains administered an average dose of 20,838 units a week—approximately 3,300 units more per week.

“Basically what we found in the area of anemia management is there are wide differences in practice,” said study author Mae Thamer.

The Problem

According to recent research, over-treatment of anemia with Epogen, Procrit, or Aranesp can cause serious, life-threatening complications including:

  • Blood clots
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Death

So why are dialysis centers overusing these drugs? The over-treatment could be attributed to the U.S. health insurance system. Epogen is one of few treatment options for patients with late-stage kidney disease that’s covered by Medicare, which in turn means more money for the centers. As many as 25 percent of dialysis center’s profits may actually come from Epogen and Procrit, according to an editorial that accompanied the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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