A randomized double-blind study of recombinant human erythropoietin in anaemic hemodialysis patients. Canadian Erythropoietin Study Group.

This study suggests that both the quality of life and exercise capacity of anaemic hemodialysis patients is improved with EPO therapy. This was seen most convincingly in the dimensions of fatigue and physical symptoms. There was no difference in improvement in quality of life or exercise capacity between patients with a mean hemoglobin level of 102 g/L and those with a mean hemoglobin level of 117 g/L. There was an increase in diastolic blood pressure in the EPO-treated patients, especially those randomized to the high EPO group.