This thesis aimed to identify possible risks associated with erythropoiesis-simulating agent (ESA) use. First, trends in anemia management are described, showing less ESA use in Swedish patients... Show moreThis thesis aimed to identify possible risks associated with erythropoiesis-simulating agent (ESA) use. First, trends in anemia management are described, showing less ESA use in Swedish patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and less ESA-treated patients had a hemoglobin above 12 g/dL. Furthermore it is shown that ESA- treated pre-dialysis patients in the Netherlands received more antihypertensive agents than patients without ESA, confirming the hypertensive effect of ESA. However, no relevant difference in routinely measured blood pressure was observed between patients with and without ESA treatment, thus the hypertensive effect of ESAs could be controlled in clinical practice. In addition, no excess of thrombotic events was shown in ESA-treated dialysis patients compared to patients without ESA treatment. In contrast, a higher risk of cardiovascular events with ESA use was indicated in Danish patients with multiple myeloma and myelodyslastic syndrome. Also, with two analytical approaches, a harmful effect of high ESA doses on mortality was indicated in Dutch dialysis patients. Last, it was shown that ESA resistance was associated with mortality in both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients. To conclude, treatment with high ESA doses was associated with a higher risk of mortality, but the mechanism is largely unknown. Show less
Venous thromboembolism is a common disease that can lead to potential fatal complications. The diagnosis and treatment of a first venous thromboembolism has been well studied, however the... Show moreVenous thromboembolism is a common disease that can lead to potential fatal complications. The diagnosis and treatment of a first venous thromboembolism has been well studied, however the diagnostic management and therapy of recurrent venous thromboembolism still have limitations. This thesis discusses a new imaging technique for recurrent deep venous thrombosis and the duration of treatment after a recurrent venous thromboembolism. It shows that Magnetic Resonance Direct Thrombus Imaging might be a potential diagnostic tool for the diagnostic management of recurrent venous thromboembolism. Furthermore the prognosis after a first deep vein thrombosis is discussed by means of recurrence and bleeding risks. Show less
