| Description: |
Background and Aims Anemia is a common and debilitating complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly affecting their quality of life and contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of CKD-related anemia is multifactorial, arising from inadequate erythropoiesis due to diminished erythropoietin production, functional iron deficiency, and inflammatory processes. Traditional treatment modalities, including erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and iron supplementation, are effective but have limitations such as the necessity for injections, cardiovascular risks, and suboptimal responses in certain patients. Roxadustat, an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI), presents a novel therapeutic approach for managing anemia in CKD, particularly in patients not on dialysis. By mimicking hypoxic conditions, roxadustat stimulates endogenous erythropoietin production, lowers hepcidin levels, and enhances iron bioavailability offering a potential alternative to traditional ESAs, especially for ESA-naïve patients. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of roxadustat in ESA-naïve CKD patients receiving conservative treatment. The primary objectives were to assess the efficacy of roxadustat in improving hemoglobin levels, iron metabolism, and overall patient health over a 90-day period. Secondary objectives included evaluating the safety profile of roxadustat, the incidence of adverse events, and the need for iron supplementation during treatment. Method A prospective observational cohort study was conducted at the UOC Nephrology AST1 Pesaro-Fano to investigate the efficacy and safety of roxadustat in ESA-naïve CKD patients with anemia. A total of 13 patients, aged 18 years and older, diagnosed with CKD and hemoglobin levels |