EPO and chronic kidney disease: Those patients with advanced stage of CKD (stage 5) had a significant association with a anemia, which has been previously reported in studies conducted inAustralia (59), Korea (60), New York (16) and Florida (62).This association is likely explained by the deterioration of renal function being accompanied by a reduction in erythropoietin production by the kidneys, and the loss of erythropoietin results in decreased red blood cell production that increases the risk of anemia development (5,22,63).