title: Mortality risk among hemodialysis patients receiving different vitamin D analogs.
abstract: Intravenous vitamin D is standard therapy for secondary hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In for-profit dialysis clinics, mortality was higher for patients on calcitriol compared to paricalcitol. Doxercalciferol, a second vitamin D2 analog, is currently available. We assessed mortality associated with each vitamin D analog and with lack of vitamin D therapy in patients who began HD at Dialysis Clinic Inc. (DCI), a not-for-profit dialysis provider. During the 1999-2004 study period we studied 7731 patients (calcitriol: n=3212; paricalcitol: n=2087; doxercalciferol: n=2432). Median follow-up was 37 weeks. Mortality rates (deaths/100 patient-years) were identical in patients on doxercalciferol (15.4, 95% confidence interval (13.6-17.1)) and paricalcitol (15.3 (13.6-16.9)) and higher in patients on calcitriol (19.6 (18.2-21.1)) (P<0.0001). In all models mortality was similar for paricalcitol versus doxercalciferol (hazard ratios=1.0). In unadjusted models, mortality was lower in patients on doxercalciferol (0.80 (0.66, 0.96)) and paricalcitol (0.79 (0.68, 0.92)) versus calcitriol (P<0.05). In adjusted models, this difference was not statistically significant. In all models mortality was higher for patients who did not receive vitamin D versus those who did (1.2 (1.1-1.3)). Mortality in doxercalciferol- and paricalcitol-treated patients was virtually identical. Differences in survival between vitamin D2 and D3 may be smaller than previously reported.
authors.affiliation: Dialysis Clinic Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tentori
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stidley
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rohrscheib
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bedrick
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Zager
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000097:blood; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006962:Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004872:Ergocalciferols; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; D010758:Phosphorus; C042533:1 alpha-hydroxyergocalciferol; C084656:paricalcitol; D002117:Calcitriol; D002118:Calcium