The Impact of Phosphorus Management Today on Quality of Life: Patient Perspectives

Patients with kidney failure and early stages of chronic kidney disease often develop hyperphosphatemia, which is associated with negative outcomes. The reduction of phosphate levels is the established clinical practice. However, achieving and maintaining target phosphate levels is challenging, and the current methods of phosphate management lead to poor quality of life (QoL) in patients receiving dialysis, particularly because patients might not receive adequate education on phosphate control. Patients receiving dialysis are advised to maintain stringent dietary restrictions and might experience anxiety and depression due to the constant burden of dietary self-management. The lack of nutritional information on food labels makes adhering to dietary restrictions even more confusing and difficult. Phosphate binders are the only pharmacologic treatment currently indicated for hyperphosphatemia. However, phosphate binders have a limited binding capacity and are difficult to incorporate into patients’ daily routines. Because of the suboptimal efficacy of phosphate binders and the negative impact of dietary restrictions on patient QoL, novel therapies for more effective phosphate control are needed. New treatment options that control phosphate levels would enable patients to eat a more normal, healthy diet and potentially improve their QoL.