Common drug no big help for kidney patients

Cinacalcet — a drug commonly prescribed to patients with kidney failure and a disturbance of bone and mineral metabolism known as secondary hyperparathyroidism — does not significantly reduce the risk of death or major cardiovascular events, a study led by an international team of researchers has found.

Cinacalcet — a drug commonly prescribed to patients with kidney failure and a disturbance of bone and mineral metabolism known as secondary hyperparathyroidism — does not significantly reduce the risk of death or major cardiovascular events, a study led by an international team of researchers has found.

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The results of the trial known as EVOLVE, which enrolled nearly 4,000 kidney patients from several continents and stretched over five years, were mixed, researchers said.

“The results of the EVOLVE trial suggest that cinacalcet favourably alters bone and mineral metabolism, and could result in improved health and longevity for patients with end-stage renal disease. But the trial was not definitive in determining cardiovascular benefits,” said the study’s lead author, Glenn Chertow, MD, professor of medicine and chief of nephrology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.