Abstract
Previously, the Sapporo Society of Nephrology and Pharmacotherapy (currently known as the Hokkaido Society of Nephrology and Pharmacotherapy) had collected data on the serum calcium and phosphorus levels from 331 patients undergoing hemodialysis at five hospitals in Sapporo. In this study, using these data, we reevaluated the effects of gender and age on the control of these chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related minerals. The mean serum calcium level was 9.1 mg/dL, and 71% of the patients investigated were within the target range advocated in clinical practice guidelines of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy (JSDT). On the other hand, the mean serum phosphorus level was 5.4 mg/dL, and 61% of patients were in the target range set out in the guidelines. When serum phosphorus levels of 331 hemodialysis patients were classified in three groups (high, adequate, and low) according to target range of the JSDT clinical practice guidelines, the number of patients distribution in the high group was approximately 5-fold greater than that in the low group. Moreover, serum phosphorus levels were significantly higher in younger than in older hemodialysis patients. No gender differences were observed either calcium or phosphorus levels. These results suggest that phosphorus control is more problematic than calcium control, and this tendency was more marked in younger patients. As adherence to the intake of phosphate binders is necessary for younger patients, pharmacists should provide them with precise information about their appropriate use. (232 words)
