Ther Apher Dial. 2025 Mar 6. doi: 10.1111/1744-9987.70004. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Phosphate binders (PBs) are commonly prescribed to reduce serum phosphate levels. This study examined the association between the PB pill burden and cardiovascular events in hemodialysis patients.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 395 patients undergoing hemodialysis between August 2018 and November 2023 at a single facility in Japan. Statistical analyses were conducted using baseline, time-averaged, and time-dependent Cox proportional hazard models.
RESULTS: Of the 395 included patients, cardiovascular events occurred in 121 patients (30.6%). The patients were categorized into tertiles based on their daily PB pill intake: T1 (<4 pills/day), T2 (4-8 pills/day), and T3 (≥9 pills/day). T3 was associated with increased cardiovascular risk (vs. T1 hazard ratio [HR] = 1.51, p = 0.064; vs. T2 HR = 2.06, p = 0.005). Similar results were obtained for the time-averaged and time-dependent models.
CONCLUSION: A high PB pill burden (≥9/day) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in patients undergoing hemodialysis.
PMID:40047034 | DOI:10.1111/1744-9987.70004
