Randomized, prospective open label trial with 1233 patients on HD which had CHF or CAD which evaluated the effects of using Epoetin (recombinant human erythropoietin) to increase or “normalize” hematocrit to 42% (as compared to 30%). Based on prior studies, increasing hematocrit levels were associated with positive cardiac measures and a better quality of life. Somewhat unexpectedly, the results of the NHCT revealed a trend of higher mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction in the normal-hematocrit group (RR 1.3), resulting in halting the trial early due to these findings.
