What Could Be Causing Your Anemia? 10 Possible Reasons

7. Chronic Kidney Disease

Anemia will often develop in people with advanced kidney disease; the damaged kidneys do not produce enough erythropoietin hormone. Erythropoietin prompts the bone marrow to make red blood cells, thus a deficiency of this hormone leads to anemia, which worsens as a person reaches partial or permanent loss of kidney function. At this stage, the condition requires dialysis or a transplant. Anemia that results from kidney disease will often create heart and muscle complications. Raising iron levels with red blood cell transfusions and dietary changes can help alleviate the anemia symptoms, as can injections of synthetic erythropoietin.