Serum calcium-phosphate levels as reliable biomarker for detecting heart disease in patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Patients who suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) also experience a wide range of secondary illnesses directly associated to their primary condition (3,4). Due to the weakening of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with CKD, many metabolites re-enter circulation and can further potentiate peripheral hypertension and further decline cardiac health (1). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality is greatly increased in patients with worsening CKD due to the failure of the kidneys to excrete certain metabolites from the serum. These serum metabolites will accumulate in either the arterial tunica intima or media wall and decrease the elasticity leading to increased peripheral hypertension (10,11). The buildup of metabolites in patient’s vasculature is asymptomatic until accumulation of such metabolites start to contribute to development of other chronic conditions (11).  Of the many metabolites that are elevated in a blood drawn biochemical panel, our research focuses on the elevation of serum calcium-phosphate levels in patients who have either acute kidney disease (AKI) or CKD. Elevated calcium-phosphate levels can be used as a biomarker for possible future development of various cardiovascular diseases. Analyzing various risk factors associated with CKD and CVD, such as biometric, physiological, and biochemical risk factors, we have found significant data that supports our hypothesis that elevated serum calcium-phosphate (CaPO4) can be used as a biomarker for risk of cardiovascular disease development.