Non–Calcium-Based Phosphate Binders Linked with Decreased Risk of Mortality

According to a systematic review of clinical trials between August 2008 and October 2012, patients with CKD who were assigned to non–calcium-based binders had a 22% reduction in all-cause mortality compared with those assigned to calcium-based phosphate binders. The analysis included 11 randomized trials (4622 patients). The findings are published in The Lancet. Phosphate binders are recommended to lower serum phosphate and prevent hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD, but the drugs’ effects on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes have been unknown.