Calcimimetics, parathyroid hormone, and vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease.

Vascular calcification (VC) occurs frequently in chronic kidney disease, contributing to cardiovascular mortality. Numerous risk factors have been identified, including renal osteodystrophy and bone turnover, with low turnover as a main determinant. Other reports support high turnover as a factor in VC. Calcimimetics, which lower serum parathyroid hormone, and parathyroidectomy each prevented VC induced by five-sixths nephrectomy in rats. These results favor increased bone turnover due to hyperparathyroidism, instead of low turnover, as a factor in VC in uremia.