Phosphorus level in human body linked with heart disease

"Higher blood level of phosphorus in the human body may predict a heart disease, according to a new study released Thursday in the United States. By analyzing nearly 900 healthy adults, researchers at the Providence Medical Research Center in Spokane found the link between phosphorus level and coronary artery calcification (CAC), an early sign of hardening of the arteries. "Even small increases in the blood level of phosphorus predicted an increased risk of progressive CAC in these apparently healthy adults," said Dr. Katherine R. Tuttle, a lead researcher in the study, which was released online Thursday and to be published in the December issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The study found that all the participants who developed CAC had higher blood level of phosphorus. The association between phosphorus level and CAC is strong even after the researchers have adjusted for other factors, the study noted. Researchers also found that people with lower kidney function - even if not below the normal range - were more likely to have progressive CAC"

High phosphorus tied to early artery plaques

In healthy young adults, blood levels of phosphorus that fall within the high-normal range may be a risk factor for plaques or "atherosclerosis" in the coronary arteries that feed the heart, findings in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggest. Coronary atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for heart attacks. Levels of phosphorus correlate with the presence of atherosclerosis in animal studies and in humans with advanced kidney disease, noted Dr. Robert N. Foley, of the US Renal Data System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and colleagues. "But whether this relationship exists among individuals with normal kidney function is unknown." - Reuters