SEATTLE, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers have found a link between high phosphate levels in people with chronic kidney disease and increased mortality.
Researchers at the American Society of Nephrology and the University of Washington collected data on about 3,500 kidney-disease patients seen at Veterans' Affairs hospitals. After three years, 56 percent of patients with the highest phosphate levels were still alive, compared with 67 percent of those in the middle levels and 72 percent at the lowest level.
The patients' average age was 71 and many had other medical problems, such as heart disease of diabetes.
Phosphate plays an essential role in bone formation and other body processes. For patients with chronic kidney disease, however, high phosphate levels lead to calcium deposits in the large blood vessels, increasing cardiovascular disease risk.
The researchers said they do not know yet if high phosphate levels are a causative factor or only a warning sign of complications. If the link is direct, however, then physicians would have to treat chronic kidney disease patients to lower their phosphate levels to reduce the risk of death.
