Effects of darbepoetin α on right and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in anemic patients with chronic heart failure secondary to ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Darbepoetin α improves both LV and RV performance and exercise capacity and counteracts neurohormonal activation in CHF patients with anemia. The drug effects on LV diastolic function, RV function, and LV end-systolic wall stress, in particular, are novel findings, with a potential important contribution to patients' symptomatic improvement.