Sponsored by:Amgen, Inc.

Some illnesses are like white-collar criminals, flying under the radar for years, while they slowly drain your resources. Anemia is such a thief – it robs the body of oxygen, strength and vitality, yet often goes undetected.

People become anemic when their red blood cell count falls below normal. As a result, the brain, heart or other parts of the body may not receive enough oxygen to function as well as they should. A person with anemia is likely to experience extreme fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, confusion or inability to concentrate, dizziness or fainting, a rapid heartbeat, or unusual feelings of sadness or depression.

Anemia often accompanies other serious illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. The kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin or EPO, which signals the bone marrow to make red blood cells. When the kidneys become diseased, they produce less and less of this hormone, causing the bone marrow to make fewer red blood cells. Injections of a drug that simulates the role of EPO can effectively treat anemia associated with kidney disease.