Hemoglobin level, chronic kidney disease, and the risks of death and hospitalization in adults with chronic heart failure: the Anemia in Chronic Heart Failure: Outcomes and Resource Utilization (ANCHOR) Study.

Background: Previous studies have associated reduced hemoglobin levels with increased adverse events in heart failure. It is unclear, however, whether this relation is explained by underlying kidney disease, treatment differences, or associated comorbidity.

Methods And Results: We examined the associations between hemoglobin level, kidney function, and risks of death and hospitalization in persons with chronic heart failure between 1996 and 2002 within a large, integrated, healthcare delivery system in northern California.