Further, many factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes and hypertension (traditional CVD risk factors) which coexist within CKD are associated with worsening outcome, an increased risk of CVD and mortality [9]; and potentially other factors, such as inflammatory and oxidative stress, erythropoiten (EPO) resistance and anemia [17], vitamin D deficiency [18] and vascular calcification [19]. The gene discussed is EPO; the disease is anemia (phenotype).