Abstract: Objective  To conduct a cross-sectional survey on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients in the Yushu Prefecture Hemodialysis Center, and to investigate the demographic characteristics, primary diseases, and control status of renal anemia in dialysis patients in this region. Methods Patients receiving regular hemodialysis from January 1 to June 30, 2024, in 3 hemodialysis centers in Yushu Prefecture were selected as the research subjects. General patient information, primary diseases, comorbidities/complications were collected by reviewing medical records and conducting questionnaires. Laboratory test results of the patients were recorded to analyze their clinical characteristics. Patients were divided into a hemoglobin (Hb)-target-achieving group and a Hb-non-target-achieving group based on Hb levels. Differences in clinical characteristics and laboratory test results between the two groups were compared, and risk factors affecting Hb target achievement were analyzed. Results A total of 70 dialysis patients were included, with a mean age of (54.54±13.60) years. Among them, 52 were male (74.29%) and 69 were Tibetan (98.57%). The average medical treatment radius of the patients was 156.7 kilometers, and 85.71% had an education level of junior high school or below. Primary diseases were mainly primary glomerulonephritis(30.0%) and diabetic nephropathy(22.9%). The control rate of hemoglobin (Hb) reaches 52.9%,the average Hb level was (110.21±24.21) g/L.Compared with the hemoglobin (Hb)-target-achieving group, the Hb-non-target-achieving group had significantly lower serum albumin (ALB) levels (t=-2.924, p=0.003) and significantly higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (t=-3.497, p=0.001).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for other confounding factors, ALB was a protective factor, and its increased level could reduce the risk of Hb inadequacy (OR=0.851, 95%CI 0.745～0.973, P=0.018); LDL-C was a risk factor, and its increased level could increase the risk of Hb inadequacy (OR=3.386, 95%CI 1.332～8.607, P=0.010). Conclusion The clinical characteristics of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture are different from those in plain areas. Their Hb compliance rate is affected by the levels of ALB and LDL-C, among which ALB is a protective factor and LDL-C is a risk factor. Clinically, individualized treatment plans can be formulated for the above influencing factors to improve the anemia status of patients. In the future, further studies can be carried out to explore the specific reasons for the differences in clinical characteristics between MHD patients in this area and those in plain areas.

Key words: Yushu, Hemodialysis, Chronic kidney disease, Renal anemia, High-altitude region