Effects of phosphate binder therapy on vascular stiffness in early-stage chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased in chronic kidney disease (CKD), and contributed to by the CKD-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD). CKD-MBD begins in early CKD and its vascular manifestations begin with vascular stiffness proceeding to increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) and vascular calcification (VC). Phosphorus is associated with this progression and is considered a CVD risk factor in CKD. We hypothesized that modifying phosphorus balance with lanthanum carbonate (LaCO3) in early CKD would not produce hypophosphatemia and may affect vascular manifestations of CKD-MBD. METHODS: We randomized 38 subjects with normophosphatemic stage 3 CKD to a fixed dose of LaCO3 or matching placebo without adjusting dietary phosphorus in a 12-month randomized, double-blind, pilot and feasibility study. The primary outcome was the change in serum phosphorus. Secondary outcomes were changes in measures of phosphate homeostasis and vascular stiffness assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), cIMT and VC over 12 months. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between LaCO3 and placebo with respect to the change in serum phosphorus, urinary phosphorus, tubular reabsorption of phosphorus, PWV, cIMT, or VC. Biomarkers of the early CKD-MBD such as plasma fibroblast growth factor-23, Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1), and sclerostin were increased 2- to 3-fold at baseline, but were not affected by LaCO3. CONCLUSION: Twelve months of LaCO3 had no effect on serum phosphorus and did not alter phosphate homeostasis, PWV, cIMT, VC, or biomarkers of CKD-MBD.

The effect of oral niacinamide on plasma phosphorus levels in peritoneal dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Hyperphosphatemia remains a significant problem for patients requiring dialysis and is associated with increased mortality. Current treatment options include dietary restriction, dialysis, and phosphate binders. Treatment using the latter is frequently limited by cost, tolerability, and calcium loading. One open-label trial found niacinamide to be effective at decreasing serum phosphorus values in hemodialysis patients. Niacinamide may effectively reduce phosphorus levels in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients already receiving standard phosphorus-lowering therapies. METHODS: An 8 week, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of niacinamide to reduce plasma phosphorus levels in PD patients. Patients had to demonstrate a baseline phosphorus value > 4.9 mg/dL. Patients were randomized to niacinamide or placebo and prescribed 250 mg twice daily, with titration to 750 mg twice daily, as long as safety parameters were not violated. Phosphate binders, active vitamin D, and cinacalcet were kept constant during the study. The primary end point was change in plasma phosphorus. Secondary end points included changes in lipid parameters. RESULTS: 15 patients started on the study drug (8 niacinamide, 7 placebo) and 7 in each arm had at least one on-study phosphorus measurement. The niacinamide treatment group experienced an average 0.7 +/- 0.9 mg/dL decrease in plasma phosphorus and the placebo-treated group experienced an average 0.4 +/- 0.8 mg/dL increase. The treatment effect difference (1.1 mg/dL) was significant (p = 0.037). No significant changes in high- or low-density lipoproteins or triglycerides were demonstrated. Two of the 8 patients randomized to the niacinamide treatment arm had to withdraw from the study due to drug-related adverse effects. Adverse effects may limit the use of niacinamide in PD patients. CONCLUSION: Niacinamide, when added to standard phosphorus-lowering therapies, resulted in a modest yet statistically significant reduction in plasma phosphorus levels at 8 weeks. [ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00508885].

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of niacinamide for reduction of phosphorus in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Niacinamide inhibits intestinal sodium/phosphorus transporters and reduces serum phosphorus in open-label studies. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was performed for assessment of the safety and efficacy of niacinamide. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Hemodialysis patients with phosphorus levels > or =5.0 mg/dl were randomly assigned to 8 wk of niacinamide or placebo, titrated from 500 to 1500 mg/d. After a 2-wk washout period, patients switched to 8 wk of the alternative therapy. Vitamin D analogs and calcimimetics were held constant; phosphorus binders were not changed unless safety criteria were met. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients successfully completed the trial. Serum phosphorus fell significantly from 6.26 to 5.47 mg/dl with niacinamide but not with placebo (5.85 to 5.98 mg/dl). A concurrent fall in calcium-phosphorus product was seen with niacinamide, whereas serum calcium, intact parathyroid hormone, uric acid, platelet, triglyceride, LDL, and total cholesterol levels remained stable in both arms. Serum HDL levels rose with niacinamide (50 to 61 mg/dl but not with placebo. Adverse effects were similar between both groups. Among patients who were > or =80% compliant, results were similar, although the decrease in serum phosphorus with niacinamide was more pronounced (6.45 to 5.28 mg/dl) and the increase in HDL approached significance (49 to 58 mg/dl). CONCLUSIONS: In hemodialysis patients, niacinamide effectively reduces serum phosphorus when co-administered with binders and results in a potentially advantageous increase in HDL cholesterol. Further study in larger randomized trials and other chronic kidney disease populations is indicated.