Low Phosphate Diets in Patients With Early Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

Phosphorus is a mineral found in dairy products, nuts, and meat that is essential for bone
health and many other important functions inside the body's cells. The kidneys are
responsible for keeping the blood levels of phosphorus normal. Healthy kidneys do this by
spilling excess phosphorus into the urine. In patients with chronic kidney disease, the
kidneys are unable to spill an adequate amount of phosphorus so that excess phosphorus can
accumulate in the walls of blood vessels leading to heart disease, their leading cause of
death. A recently discovered hormone called FGF-23 helps control the blood levels of
phosphorus by "telling" the kidney how much phosphorus to spill in the urine. The purpose of
this study is to learn more about how FGF-23 helps the kidneys control the blood levels of
phosphorus. The ultimate goal is to use this information to design improved treatment
strategies for phosphorus-related problems for the millions of patients with chronic kidney
disease.