The pathological mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies for renal anemia.

Renal anemia (RA) is a common complication associated with chronic kidney diseases. Its pathological mechanism is attributed to the combined effects of insufficient production of erythropoietin by the kidneys, iron metabolism disorders, and chronic inflammatory conditions. The main pillars of medicine treatment for these aspects include erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, iron supplementation, and novel hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors. Traditional Chinese medicine shows potential advantages across multiple targets in improving anemia and renal function in patients with RA. This review aims to systematically explain the current pathophysiological understanding of RA, examine the prevailing treatment approaches, and summarize the pharmacological mechanisms and research findings related to natural products and their active compounds used in RA treatment. This review is to provide new insights and references to support future in-depth research and clinical management of RA.