Open label, randomized trial assessed patients with CKD (not on dialysis) to determine if targeting higher hemoglobin levels (>13.5 g/dL vs. >11.3 g/dL) would have beneficial effects on the rate of cardiovascular events. The study enrolled over 1,400 patients with a median study duration of 16 months. The authors here found no clinical improvement in the quality of life between the two groups but alarmingly an association between higher hemoglobin with the primary composite outcomes (death, myocardial infarction, and hospitalization for heart failure and stroke).
