Anemia in chronic kidney disease is primarily due to decreased production of which hormone?

• A. Erythropoietin
• B. Aldosterone
• C. Renin
• D. Bradykinin

Answer: (A)

Erythropoietin is the hormone that signals the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. In chronic kidney disease, the kidneys lose much of the tissue that makes erythropoietin, so this signal drops and erythropoiesis is insufficient. The resulting anemia is typically normocytic and normochromic. This is why CKD-related anemia is treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating approaches and iron management. The other options don't drive red blood cell production—aldosterone helps with sodium and water balance, renin is part of the RAAS, and bradykinin is a vasodilator peptide; none are the primary cause of anemia in CKD.