Vascular Calcification in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Types, Clinical Impact and Pathogenesis

Vascular calcification plays a major role in cardiovascular disease, which is one of the main causes of mortality in chronic kidney disease patients. Vascular calcification is determined by prevalent traditional and uraemia-related (non-traditional) risk factors. It occurs mainly in the arteries, which are classified into three types according to their size and structural characteristics. In addition, vascular calcification has been associated with bone loss and fractures in chronic kidney disease patients and the general population, stressing the fact that both disorders can share pathogenetic pathways. The strategies to control vascular calcification involve several measures, chief among them the control of hyperphosphataemia. Furthermore, it has been recently described that strategies that reduce bone resorption and increase bone mineralization may decrease the risk of vascular calcifications; however, this approach still remains controversial. The mechanisms involved in vascular calcification are complex Received: September 17, 2009 Accepted: November 30, 2010 Jorge B. Cannata-Andía Bone and Mineral Research Unit, Instituto Reina Sofía de Investigación Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias C/ Julián Clavería s/n, ES–33006 Oviedo, Asturias (Spain) Tel. +34 985 106 137, Fax +34 985 106 142, E-Mail metoseo @ hca.es © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel 1011–7571/11/0203–0203$38.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/mpp D ow nl oa de d by : 54 .7 0. 40 .1 1 10 /6 /2 01 7 5: 54 :0 9 A M