Potential antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of sevelamer in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Background Patients affected by end-stage renal disease (ESRD) demonstrate a very high cardiovascular risk mediated by traditional cardiovascular risk factors as well as abnormal mineral metabolism and a state of chronic inflammation. Sevelamer is a nonabsorbable non–calcium-based hydrogel with potential antiatherosclerotic properties. Method and Results One hundred eight patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis were randomized to sevelamer or calcium acetate as treatment for hyperphosphatemia. A coronary artery calcium score, as a measure of plaque burden, was calculated at baseline and 1 year, along with serial measurements of serum lipoproteins, β2-microglobulin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). At 1 year, coronary artery calcium score progressed significantly from baseline in calcium acetate–treated subjects (P < .001) but not in sevelamer-treated patients (P = NS). Total cholesterol (P < .0001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < .0001), apolipoprotein B (P < .0001), β2-microglobulin (P = .018), and hs-CRP (P < .002) decreased, and high-density lipoprotein increased significantly (P = .036) from baseline in the sevelamer-treated subjects but not in subjects treated with calcium acetate despite the more frequent use of statins in the latter group (46% vs 22%, P < .05). The changes in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and hs-CRP were significantly different between treatment groups (all P < .01). Conclusions Sevelamer leads to favorable changes in lipids and inflammatory markers with potentially useful antiatherogenic effects in hemodialysis patients.