Vitamin D reduced risk of death of Chronic Kidney Disease by 30 percent: Meta-analysis March 2013

Vitamin D Treatment and Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease:

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Am J Nephrol. 2013 Mar 5;37(3):239-248.
Duranton F, Rodriguez-Ortiz ME, Duny Y, Rodriguez M, Daurès JP, Argilés A.
RD-Néphrologie, Institut Universitaire de Recherche Clinique, Montpellier, France.

Background/Aims: Hypovitaminosis D has been associated with an increased cardiovascular mortality in the general population and in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Still, whether prescribing vitamin D reduces the risk of mortality in renal patients remains controversial.

Methods: We searched PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov and the Cochrane Library for long-term longitudinal studies comparing vitamin D compounds (25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and synthetic derivatives) to placebo or no treatment in renal patients, and which evaluated mortality, to perform a meta-analysis. Data concerning study quality, population and effect size were extracted independently by two investigators using predefined forms.

Results: Fourteen observational studies (194,932 patients) met all eligibility criteria. Most studies were performed in hemodialysis patients and all used calcitriol or synthetic analogues. In a random effects meta-analysis, receiving any vitamin D therapy significantly reduced the risk of all-cause mortality (relative risk 0.73, 95% CI 0.65-0.82). The relative risk of death was 0.72 (95% CI 0.65-0.80) after 3 years of therapy and 0.67 (95% CI 0.45-0.98) after 5 years. In meta-regression, the risk reduction was shown to be greater in patients with higher parathyroid hormone serum levels (p = 0.01). The risk of cardiovascular mortality was also significantly reduced in patients receiving any vitamin D derivative (relative risk 0.63, 95% CI 0.44-0.92).

Conclusion: Therapies with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and analogues are associated with reduced mortality in CKD patients, and particularly in those suffering from secondary hyperparathyroidism. These results, based on observational evidence, are supportive of prescribing vitamin D therapies to CKD patients, while respecting good practice guidelines.

Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PMID: 23467111

Figure 3

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PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

Strange that they looked at vitamin D, rather than the active form of vitamin D which is typically used for Chronic Kidney Disease

Yet another meta-analysis which appears to ignore how much vitamin D was used by each of the trials.

See also VitaminDWiki

• Calcidiol may be 5X more effective than Vitamin D3 – June 2012
• Calcitrol was as effective as Vitamin D analogues, and 17X less costly – May 2012
• All items in category Kidney and Vitamin D 229 items
• Kidney disease requires magnesium - Jan 2013
• Chronic Kidney Disease and Vitamin D Analogs – commentary Jan 2013
• 50 percent of Chronic Kidney Disease treatments in Germany include vitamin D – Dec 2012
• Kidney Dialysis clinics reluctant to add vitamin D treatment as they are not reimbursed – Oct 2012
• With CKD should measure the active form of vitamin D – April 2012
• 7100 IU (50000 weekly) restored vitamin D levels for those with Chronic Kidney Disease – July 2012
• Kidney Conference had many Vitamin D papers – May 2012
• Need at least 80 ng of vitamin D if have chronic kidney disease – May 2012
• Overview Kidney and vitamin D which has the following chart