Role of the control of phosphate in the progression of chronic renal failure.

In order to control the progression of chronic renal failure through the maintenance of low-normal levels of serum phosphate, 10 patients (group I) were followed over a period of 10 months. They were maintained on a low phosphate diet and 12 g/day of aluminum hydroxide. Under this treatment, the serum phosphate decreased significantly compared to the phosphate levels determined prior to initiation of treatment, and compared to the serum phosphate levels of 10 controls with the same degree of renal failure (group II) but receiving conventional treatment. Despite the maintenance of normal levels of serum phosphate in group I, serum creatinine increased in the same proportion as in group II. A paired t test did not show any difference between the progression of the renal failure before or after the control of serum phosphate.