Use of phosphate-binding agents can reduce mortality

The use of phosphate-binding agents, singly or in combination, is associated with reduced mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease as per the results of COSMOS trial (Current management Of Secondary hyperparathyroidism: A Multicenter Observational Study).

COSMOS was a 3-year follow-up, multicenter, open-cohort, prospective study of adult chronic hemodialysis patients with no previous kidney transplant from 227 dialysis centers from 20 European countries.

The analysis, published in the July 3, 2013 issue of Kidney International, included 6,300 patients.

Patients prescribed phosphate-binding agents were found to have 29% lower all-cause mortality and 22% lower cardiovascular mortality.

All types of phosphate-binding agents were effective with three exceptions: aluminum-containing phosphate binder on its own, combinations of calcium-containing binders with aluminum, and combinations of calcium-containing binders with other phosphate binders.