Use of 3-hour daily hemodialysis and paricalcitol in patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism: A case series

Abstract

Patients with poor metabolic control receiving conventional hemodialysis are at risk for developing severe secondary hyperparathyroidism. We postulated that daily hemodialysis may be effective at controlling parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the setting of severe secondary hyperparathyroidism by improving the control of hyperphosphatemia and allowing increased use of vitamin D analogs. We present 5 patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (median iPTH=1783 pg/mL) who were treated with 3-hour daily hemodialysis (3 hours x 6 times a week). Daily hemodialysis, at 1 year, was associated with a 70.4% reduction in median PTH (1783 pg/mL [interquartile range: 1321-1983]-472 pg/mL [334, 704], P<0.001). Additionally, there was an increase in paricalcitol dose from 0 mcg/d to 10.8 (2.00, 11.7) mcg/d, a 39% reduction in calcium x phosphorus product (80.3 +/- 26.8-48.9 +/- 14.0, P<0.01), a 52% reduction in serum phosphorus (9.90 +/- 2.34-4.75 +/- 0.79 mg/dL, P<0.0001), and a 17.6% increase in serum calcium (8.18 +/- 2.04-9.62 +/- 0.93 mg/dL, P<0.01). Three-hour daily hemodialysis with the use of high-dose paricalcitol is associated with improved control of severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.