Treatment of uraemic hyperphosphatemia with calcium acetate: a safe alternative to calcium carbonate

Abstract

Clinical usefulness of calcium acetate (CAA) as phosphorus binder was assessed in 19 stable hemodialysis patients with persistent hyperphosphatemia. All were dialysed thrice weekly with a constant dialytic schedule and a dialysate calcium of 3.5 mEq/l. One month prior the study beginning all patients stopped assumption of Ca and vitamin D supplements. In the first period of the study CAA (mean daily doses 2.2 g) was administered for one month followed by 15 days of withdrawal. The mean serum phosphorus decreased from 7.6 +/- 1.4 to 5.8 +/- 0.8 mg% (p < 0.005). After 15 days of withdrawal mean serum phosphorus reached the pretreatment value. Then the patients entered a long term study with personalized doses of CAA (between 1 and 4 g/day) and administration in 8 of them of alpha-calcidol. After a mean follow-up period of 5.4 +/- 1.5 months serum phosphorus was reduced from 7.5 +/- 1.1 to 5.6 +/- 1.1 mg% (p < 0.0005) while calcemia increased from 9.0 +/- 0.7 to 9.6 +/- 0.6 mg% (p < 0.005). Only one patient developed mild hypercalcemia. We concluded that CAA is a safe alternative to calcium carbonate for the control of hyperphosphatemia of uraemic patients for the most efficient phosphorus binding and the lesser absorption of calcium.