Phosphate binders are medications used to reduce the absorption of dietary phosphate; they are taken along with meals and snacks. They are frequently used in people with chronic kidney failure (CKF), who are less able to excrete phosphate, resulting in an elevated serum phosphate.

Mechanism of action

These agents work by binding to phosphate in the GI tract, thereby making it unavailable to the body for absorption. Hence, these drugs are usually taken with meals to bind any phosphate that may be present in the ingested food. Phosphate binders may be simple molecular entities (such as magnesium, aluminium, calcium, or lanthanum salts) that react with phosphate and form an insoluble compound. Phosphate binders such as sevelamer may also be polymeric structures which bind to phosphate and are then excreted.^{[citation needed]}

Medical use

For people with chronic kidney failure, controlling serum phosphate is important because it is associated with bone pathology and regulated together with serum calcium by the parathyroid hormone (PTH).^[1]

They are also used in hypoparathyroidism which presents with hypocalcemia with hyperphosphatemia.^{[citation needed]}

Adverse effects

With regard to phosphate binders, aluminium-containing compounds (such as aluminium hydroxide) are the least preferred because prolonged aluminium intake can cause encephalopathy and osteomalacia. If calcium is already being used as a supplement, additional calcium used as a phosphate binder may cause hypercalcemia and tissue-damaging calcinosis. One may avoid these adverse effects by using phosphate binders that do not contain calcium or aluminium as active ingredients, such as lanthanum carbonate or sevelamer.

Choice of agent

There have been limited trials comparing phosphate binders to placebo in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in people with chronic kidney disease. When compared with people receiving calcium-based binders, people taking sevelamer have a reduced all-cause mortality.^[1]

Types

• Calcium acetate/magnesium carbonate