| Katherine, a mother of two from the
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| | day.
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| suburbs of Orlando, Florida, was
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| | The change worked for Katherine. Instead
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| diagnosed with type 2 diabetes shortly
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| | of the 12 tablets she was taking per day
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| after her 30th birthday. Two decades
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| | on a previous phosphate binder, Katherine
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| later, her diabetes led to kidney
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| | now takes fewer than five tablets a day.
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| failure. Unfortunately, this scenario is
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| | The new medication has enabled Katherine
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| not uncommon, as diabetes is the leading
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| | to consistently maintain her phosphorus
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| cause of kidney failure in the United
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| | levels within the recommended guidelines.
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| States, accounting for nearly half of the
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| | Katherine's new binder also is a chewable
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| people who begin treatment each year.
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| | tablet, which she prefers, because like
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| When the kidneys stop working normally,
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| | all dialysis patients, she needs to
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| it is called chronic kidney disease
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| | restrict the amount of water she drinks
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| (CKD). In Katherine's case, the disease
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| | each day. While Katherine has not
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| advanced to its most severe form, CKD
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| | experienced any side effects related to
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| Stage 5, which occurs when an individual
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| | FOSRENOL(R), her doctor did advise her
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| has lost at least 85 percent of his or
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| | that individuals taking the medication
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| her kidney function and begins dialysis.
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| | may experience nausea or vomiting, which
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| Of the 20 million Americans who have some
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| | generally lessen over time as patients
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| form of kidney disease, more than 530,000
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| | continue with their treatment.
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| are on dialysis. Dialysis performs tasks
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| | Thanks to dialysis, diet and her newly
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| that healthy kidneys do, such as remove
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| | prescribed phosphate binder therapy,
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| wastes, control excess salt and water
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| | Katherine is successfully managing her
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| balance, and maintain blood pressure.
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| | health and staying active. On most days,
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| The overall management of kidney disease
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| | she can be found in her swimming pool
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| is challenging and can lead to a variety
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| | with her children and grandchildren.
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| of additional problems. In Katherine's
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| | This patient account reflects one
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| case, she developed hyperphosphatemia
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| | person's experience with
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| (hi-per-FOS-fuh-TE-me-uh)-high levels of
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| | hyperphosphatemia, CKD Stage 5 and her
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| phosphorus in the blood-which can lead to
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| | treatment with FOSRENOL(R). This
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| serious long-term health problems over
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| | information is not intended as a
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| time, such as mineral deposits in the
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| | substitute for medical advice.
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| heart and blood vessels, bone disease and
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| | Note to Editors: Important Safety
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| even death.
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| | Information: During clinical trials, the
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| Fortunately, there are treatments
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| | most common side effects of FOSRENOL(R)
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| available to help patients control their
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| | were gastrointestinal, and included
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| kidney disease and limit the impact of
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| | nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Nausea
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| hyperphosphatemia. Through a combination
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| | and vomiting generally lessened over time
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| of dialysis, diet and phosphate binder
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| | as patients continued with their
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| therapy, patients can manage their
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| | treatment. Patients who stopped treatment
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| phosphorus levels. In addition to going
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| | usually reported gastrointestinal side
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| to dialysis three times a week, Katherine
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| | effects as the reason for stopping. Other
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| follows a diet that limits foods high in
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| | side effects reported in trials included
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| phosphorus, such as dairy products and
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| | dialysis graft complications, headache,
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| dark soda. But phosphorus is found in
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| | abdominal pain, and low blood pressure.
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| most foods, so patients often cannot
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| | Although studies were not designed to
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| reach target blood phosphorus levels
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| | detect differences in risk of bone
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| through dietary restriction and dialysis
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| | fracture and mortality, there were no
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| alone. Many patients, including
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| | differences demonstrated in patients
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| Katherine, need to take phosphate binders
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| | treated with FOSRENOL(R) compared to
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| at meals and snacks to help further
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| | alternative therapy for up to 3 years.
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| control their phosphorus levels.
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| | The duration of treatment exposure and
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| Phosphate binders are prescription
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| | time of observation in the clinical
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| medications which "soak up" phosphorus in
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| | program were too short to conclude that
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| the gastrointestinal tract before it can
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| | FOSRENOL(R) does not affect the risk of
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| be absorbed into the blood, thereby
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| | bone fracture or mortality beyond 3
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| helping patients maintain target blood
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| | years. While lanthanum has been shown to
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| phosphorus levels.
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| | accumulate in the GI tract, liver, and
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| Because phosphate binders need to be
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| | bone in animals, the clinical
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| taken with each meal, finding an
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| | significance in humans is unknown. If you
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| effective binder that fits each
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| | suffer from acute stomach ulcer, colon
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| individual patient's needs can be
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| | inflammation and colon ulcers, Crohn's
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| challenging. In April 2005, a member of
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| | disease, or bowel obstruction, it is
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| Katherine's health care team recommended
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| | important to know that patients with
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| that she change her phosphate binder to
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| | these conditions were not included in
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| FOSRENOL(R) because it could reduce the
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| | FOSRENOL(R) clinical studies-please
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| number of tablets she had to take each
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| | discuss with your doctor.
|
