Revista Portuguesa de Nefrologia e Hipertensão 41 THE IMPACT OF CARDIOVASCULAR CALCIFICATIONS IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: NOVEL PATHOMECHANISTIC INSIGHTS

Vascular calcification including both medial and intimal calcification is the most prominent and a very common manifestation of extraos-seous calcification in end stage renal disease (ESRD). It is characteristic of the accelerated course atherosclerosis takes in dialysis patients and associated with arterial stiffness as well as increased mortality. Several risk factors for cal-cification were identified in the ESRD popula-tion including age and time on dialysis, but spe-cifically also an elevated calcium x phosphate product (Ca x P), the dose of calcium-contain-ing phosphate binders and the presence of an inflammatory state. Data from registry studies strongly support the deleterious role of hyper-The impact of cardiovascular calcifications in chronic kidney disease: Novel pathomechanistic insight