Epoetin alfa is commonly used to treat anemia due to which condition?

Epoetin alfa is commonly used to treat anemia due to which condition?

• A. Hyperglycemia
• B. Acute infection
• C. Hypotension
• D. Chronic kidney disease

Answer: (D)

Epoetin alfa is a synthetic form of erythropoietin, the hormone that signals the bone marrow to make red blood cells. In chronic kidney disease, damaged kidneys produce less erythropoietin, leading to anemia. Replacing this hormone with epoetin alfa stimulates the marrow to produce more red blood cells, raising hemoglobin levels and reducing symptoms like fatigue. This is why the drug is classically used for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease. The other options don’t involve a deficiency of erythropoietin being corrected by a replacement: hyperglycemia is a metabolic issue, acute infection can cause anemia through other mechanisms, and hypotension is a circulatory problem, not a cause addressed by erythropoietin therapy.

Epoetin alfa is a synthetic form of erythropoietin, the hormone that signals the bone marrow to make red blood cells. In chronic kidney disease, damaged kidneys produce less erythropoietin, leading to anemia. Replacing this hormone with epoetin alfa stimulates the marrow to produce more red blood cells, raising hemoglobin levels and reducing symptoms like fatigue. This is why the drug is classically used for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease. The other options don’t involve a deficiency of erythropoietin being corrected by a replacement: hyperglycemia is a metabolic issue, acute infection can cause anemia through other mechanisms, and hypotension is a circulatory problem, not a cause addressed by erythropoietin therapy.