The percentage of hemoglobin–deficient, hypochromic erythrocytes, as measured by some hemocytometers, reflects the availability of iron for erythropoiesis and has become a surrogate marker of functional iron deficiency. As the lifespan of erythrocytes varies according to the degree of the patient’s uremia between approximately 60 and 120 days, hypochromic erythrocytes, measured as a percentage of total erythrocytes (%-Hypo), become detectable only late in the course of erythropoietin therapy, and are therefore thought by some to be of only limited sensitivity in the diagnosis of functional iron deficiency.