GSTM1 and chronic kidney disease: Although the 2012 KDIGO guidelines [9] decreased the upper limit of the target Hb level to 11.5 g/dL, emphasizing the results of the CHOIR, CREATE, and TREAT studies, our results support the target maintenance Hb level in NDCKD patients (11 to < 13 g/dL) stated in the 2015 JSDT “Guidelines for Renal Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease” [14] for patient populations (such as CKD patients in Japan) that receive lower ESA doses and have fewer cardiovascular comorbidities than CKD patients in the United States.