Abstract: Renal anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Iron deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with CKD. On the other hand, CKD patients are vulnerable to iron overload due to long-term iron supplement. Serum transferrin and transferrin saturation are traditionally used in the evaluation of iron status. However, due to the chronic inflammation in CKD patients, these biomarkers can not reflect iron status accurately. Oral and intravenous iron therapy both show advantages and disadvantages in anemia treatment. New iron agents bring new choices for iron therapy in renal anemia, while their efficacy needs further studies.

Key words: Renal anemia, Iron therapy, Iron deficiency, Iron overload