[Anemia in cardiovascular diseases: a prognostic marker or part of the disease?].

Many patients with cardiovascular diseases are anemic to some extent. Anemia is a well-known prognostic marker for negative outcome in a variety of atherosclerotic and hearts diseases. The detrimental outcome of anemic patients with cardiovascular diseases may be a consequence of the anemia, for instance as a pro-ischemic condition. However, anemia may indicate a pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory condition which contributes to the progression of cardiovascular diseases in general and atherosclerosis in particular. In this review we investigate the association between anemia and cardiovascular diseases, its mechanisms and how to utilize it for better understanding, prediction and treatment.