SEARCH HELP CONTACT US   www.leo-pharma.com/laro // Therapeutic Areas // Renal Osteodystrophy Renal Osteodystrophy Renal osteodystrophy is a bone disease that occurs when your kidneys fail to maintain the proper levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood. Renal osteodystrophy is a common problem in patients with kidney disease and affects 90 percent of patients undergoing dialysis treatment. Renal osteodystrophy is particularly serious in children because their bones are still growing. The condition is responsible for slowing down the growth process and causes deformities. One such deformity occurs when the legs bend inward or outward, this condition is referred to as “rickets.” Another important manifestation of this disease process is short stature. Symptoms can be seen in growing children with renal disease even before they start dialysis. Changes in bone from renal osteodystrophy can begin many years before symptoms appear in adults with renal disease. The symptoms of renal osteodystrophy usually are not evident in adults until they have been on dialysis treatment for several years. Mature patients and women who have gone through menopause are at greater risk of this disease because they already have a disposition of developing osteoporosis, even without kidney disease. Without treatment, the bones over time become thin and brittle, and a person with renal bone disease may begin to feel bone and joint pain. In healthy individuals, bone tissue is constantly undergoing the process of bone remodeling. Thus, the kidneys play an important part in maintaining bone mass and structure because one of their primary functions is to balance calcium and phosphate levels in the blood. If calcium levels in the blood become too low, the parathyroid glands release a hormone called parathyroid hormone (PTH). This hormone draws calcium from the bones to raise blood calcium levels. Too much PTH in the blood will remove too much calcium from the bones. Over time the constant removal of calcium weakens the bones. phosphate also helps regulate calcium levels in the bones. When the kidneys stop working normally, phosphate levels in the blood can become too high, leading to lower levels of calcium in the blood and resulting in the loss of calcium from the bones. Healthy kidneys also produce what is known as calcitriol, which helps the body absorb dietary calcium into the blood and bones. When calcitriol levels drop too low, PTH levels increase, and calcium is removed from the bones. Calcitriol and PTH work together to keep calcium balance normal. In a patient with kidney failure, the kidneys stop making calcitriol. This in turn means, that the body can’t absorb calcium from food and starts removing it from the bones. The diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy can be made by taking a sample of your blood to measure levels of calcium, phosphate, PTH and calcitriol. Also, your doctor may perform a bone biopsy to determine the density of your bones. The primary aim of treatment is to control the PTH levels. Generally, overactive parathyroid glands are controllable with a change in diet, dialysis treatment, or medication. If your kidneys aren’t making adequate amounts of calcitriol, you can take a vitamin D analog as a capsule or in an injectable form. Also, your doctor may prescribe a calcium supplement. A good treatment program, including proper attention to dialysis treatments, diet and medications, can improve your body’s ability to repair bones damaged by renal osteodystrophy. For further information, please visit the National Kidney Foundation. For additional information or comments, please contact: LEO Pharma, Inc. in Florida (if you are unable to open the link below please copy it into your e-mail program) Saturday 6 September 2008 Sitemap    Terms & Conditions of Use      LEO Pharma Inc. Latin America Regional Office · 7820 Peters Road, Suite E-100 · Plantation, FL 33324 · USA Tel +1 954 474 8174 · Fax +1 954 474 6826 · E-mail: