Long-term echocardiographic examinations in chronic hemodialysis patients substituted with recombinant human erythropoietin.

Cardiomegaly and impaired cardiac function induced by renal anemia are frequent findings in patients with chronic renal failure. The present investigation was performed to study the cardiac effects of a therapy with recombinant human erythropoietin in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Echocardiographic examinations showed a decrease in cardiac size and left-ventricular mass continuously over 12 months of effective erythropoietin substitution. Cardiac output was reduced, and ejection fraction and myocardial contractility increased. The development of aggravation of arterial hypertension did not counteract the beneficial effects of erythropoietin on cardiac performance.