ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Please note that you are viewing an archived section from 2022 and some content may be unavailable. To unlock all content for 2022, please visit the archives.

Abstract: SA-PO184

Active Vitamin D Use and Fractures in Hemodialysis Patients: Results From the International DOPPS

Session Information

Category: Bone and Mineral Metabolism

  • 402 Bone and Mineral Metabolism: Clinical

Authors

  • Komaba, Hirotaka, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan
  • Zhao, Junhui, Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
  • Karaboyas, Angelo, Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
  • Yamamoto, Suguru, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
  • Dasgupta, Indranil, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
  • Hassan, Mohamed H., Seha Kidney Care, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Zuo, Li, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
  • Christensson, Anders, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
  • Combe, Christian, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France
  • Robinson, Bruce M., Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
  • Fukagawa, Masafumi, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan
Background

Active vitamin D is used commonly to control secondary hyperparathyroidism and associated high-turnover bone disease in dialysis patients. It is unknown whether active vitamin D improves bone strength and prevents fracture through direct action on bone metabolism, independent of its action to suppress parathyroid hormone (PTH).

Methods

We included 41,677 in-center hemodialysis patients from 21 countries in phases 3-6 (2005-2018) of the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS). We analyzed the association between prescription (yes/no) of active vitamin D at study enrollment and incidence of (1) any fracture and (2) hip fracture. We used Cox regression, adjusted for PTH and other potential confounders, and used a per-protocol approach to censor patients at treatment switch during follow-up. As a sensitivity analysis, we also performed a facility preference approach to reduce confounding by indication, assigning exposures at the facility-level based on the proportion of patients prescribed active vitamin D in the facility.

Results

The proportion of patients prescribed active vitamin D at study enrollment was 55% overall and ranged from 72% in Sweden to 25% in France. Event rates (per patient-year) were 0.024 for any fracture and 0.010 for hip fracture. The adjusted HR (95% CI) comparing patients prescribed vs. not prescribed active vitamin D was 1.01 (0.89, 1.16) for any fracture and 0.99 (0.80, 1.22) for hip fracture. In the facility preference approach, compared to the reference group of <40% of patients prescribed active vitamin D, the adjusted HR (95% CI) for fracture was 1.07 (0.88, 1.31) for 40-54%, 1.11 (0.90, 1.37) for 55-69%, and 1.21 (0.99, 1.49) for >=70%. Results were similar when treating hip fracture as the outcome.

Conclusion

Active vitamin D use was not associated with the risk of any fracture or hip fracture in hemodialysis patients. Our results do not support the role of active vitamin D in fracture prevention beyond the suppression of PTH. Randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Funding

  • Commercial Support –