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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recent in vitro studies have shown a link between alkaline phosphatase and vascular calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). High serum levels of alkaline phosphatase are associated with increased death risk in epidemiologic studies of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. We hypothesized that coronary artery calcification is independently associated with increased serum alkaline phosphatase levels in MHD patients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, P = 0.007). Serum alkaline phosphatase of approximately 85 IU/L seemed to be associated with the lowest likelihood of severe coronary artery calcification, but in the lowest tertile of alkaline phosphatase, the CACS predictability was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: An association between serum alkaline phosphatase level and CACS exists in MHD patients. Given the high burden of vascular calcification in patients with CKD, examining potential therapeutic interventions to modulate the alkaline phosphatase pathway may be warranted.
Shantouf et al. (2009) studied this question.
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