The New England Journal of Medicine -- August 27, 1998 -- Vol. 339

The Effects of Normal as Compared with Low Hematocrit Values in Patients with Cardiac Disease Who Are Receiving Hemodialysis and Epoetin

Anatole Besarab, W. Kline Bolton, Jeffrey K. Browne, Joan C. Egrie, Allen R. Nissenson, Douglas M. Okamoto, Steve J. Schwab, David A. Goodkin

Figure 2: Kaplan-Meier Estimates of the Probability of Death or a First Nonfatal Myocardial Infarction in the Normal-Hematocrit and Low-Hematocrit Groups.

The mortality in this population (patients with baseline CHF or symptomatic CAD (or old MI by ECG/echo) who were on HD. Pt's with severe CHF or unstable CAD, or with life expectancy of less than 6 months were excluded. Overall CAD mortality in all comers on HD is 50% (NEJM -- October 8, 1998 -- Vol. 339, 1054-1062).