Table 1.

Definitions of anemia proposed by various authorities

Anemia definition	Proposed by	Comments
Hgb < 13 g/dL for men or < 12 g/dL for women	World Health Organization	Historical definition Not validated in HF population
Hgb < 13.5 g/dL for men or <12 g/dL for women	National Kidney Foundation	Modifid their original gender-independent cutoff of 12 g/dL to identify more patients as being anemic, in an effort to increase the anemia recognition in CKD patients
Hgb < 12 g/dL (men > 70 years) or <13.5 g/dL (men ≤ 70 years)	European Best Practice Guidelines on anemia in CKD	Guidelines have not been tested in non-CKD patient populations
Hgb < 11.5 g/dL (in women, age-independent)
Hgb < 13 g/dL for men or <12 g/dL for women	KDIGO	Similar to World Health Organization definition

Abbreviations: CKD, chronic kidney disease; HF, heart failure; Hgb, hemoglobin; KDIGO, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes.