Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardio- Vascular Diseases

Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Japan and other Westernized countries. Over 50% of the ESRD patients die from cardiovascular events. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in ESRD patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are implicated in the endothelial dysfunction caused by hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, and in the vascular calcification of intimal and medial arterial blood vessels caused by hyperphosphatemia. Therefore, dietary control of hyperglycemia and hyperphosphatemia should play an important role in the management of ESRD patients with DM. Furthermore, recent findings suggest that high concentrations of serum phosphate, even if within the normal range, may be a risk factor for CVD and mortality. An in vivo study using klotho knockout mice and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) knockout mice has revealed that correction of hyperphosphatemia and hypervitaminosis D could ameliorate the premature aging-like phenotype. A low glycemic index and low phosphate diet may provide an advantage in the prevention of aging-related diseases in healthy individuals as well as in those with chronic kidney disease. J. Med. Invest. 54 : 359-365, August, 2007 Received for publication February 28, 2007 ; accepted March 20, 2007. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Yutaka Taketani, Ph.D., Department of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan and Fax : +81-88-6337094. The Journal of Medical Investigation Vol. 54 2007 359