Pathophysiology of anaemia: focus on the heart and blood vessels

The amount of oxygen delivered to an organ depends on three factors: blood flow and its distribution; the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, i.e. haemoglobin concentration; and oxygen extraction. Non-haemodynamic and haemodynamic mechanisms operate to compensate for anaemia. Non-haemodynamic mechanisms include increased erythropoietin production to stimulate erythropoiesis, and increased oxygen extraction (displacement of the haemoglobin oxygen dissociation curve). This decreased affinity of oxygen for haemoglobin is mediated by increased 2,3-diphosphoglycerate concentrations. Increased cardiac output is the main haemodynamic factor, mediated by lower afterload, increased preload, and positive inotropic and chronotropic effects. Decreased afterload is due to vasodilatation and reduced vascular resistance as a consequence of lower blood viscosity, hypoxia-induced vasodilatation, and enhanced nitric oxide activity. Vasodilatation also involves recruitment of microvessels and, in the case of chronic anaemia, stimulation of angiogenesis. With decreased afterload, the venous return (preload) and left ventricular (LV) filling increase, leading to increased LV end-diastolic volume and maintenance of a high stroke volume and high stroke work. High stroke work is also due to enhanced LV contractility attributed to increased concentrations of catecholamines and non-catecholamine inotropic factors. In addition, heart rate is increased in anaemia, due to hypoxia-stimulated chemoreceptors and increased sympathetic activity. In the long term, these haemodynamic alterations lead to gradual development of cardiac enlargement and LV hypertrophy (LVH). The LVH is eccentric, characterized by increased LV internal dimensions and a normal ratio of wall thickness to cavity diameter, as occurs in other forms of volume overload. When anaemia-related LVH develops in an otherwise 'healthy' humoral environment, the lesions are reversible and the type of LVH is primarily physiological and is not associated with impaired diastolic function. In the absence of underlying cardiovascular disorders, severe anaemia (Haemoglobin concentration < 4-5 g/dl) leads to congestive heart failure. In the presence of heart disease, especially coronary artery disease, anaemia intensifies angina and contributes to a high incidence of cardiovascular complications. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), LVH is influenced by many other factors, leading to intense interstitial fibrosis, to alterations in diastolic function, and usually to poor reversibility. The chronic increase in cardiac output contributes to arterial remodelling of central elastic arteries such as the aorta and common carotid artery. This remodelling consists principally of arterial enlargement and compensatory arterial intima--media thickening. In ESRD, these geometric changes are accompanied by arterial stiffening. The principal consequences of arterial alterations are increased systolic pressure and high inertia due to higher blood mass in the dilated arterial system. These alterations contribute to the development of LVH and abnormal coronary perfusion.