Cinacalcet may reduce arterial stiffness in patients with chronic renal disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism - results of a small-scale, prospective, observational study

Aims: This study evaluated the impact of cinacalcet on arterial stiffness, determined by pulse wave velocity (PWV), in patients with chronic renal disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). Patients and methods: This prospective, observational study included, SHPT patients with chronic renal disease on dialysis undergoing cinacalcet treatment with a follow-up of 12 months. Results: 21 patients, 62% males, with a mean age of 51.3 years (+/- 18.0) were included. Cinacalcet was given for at least a year with a mean daily dose of 35 mg (range 30 - 60 mg). Aortic PWV significantly decreased after 12 months of cinacalcet treatment (9.35 +/- 1.83 m/sg vs. 8.66 +/- 1.86 m/sg; p = 0.030). Additionally, there was a notable reduction trend in the left ventricular mass index (166.6 +/- 39.4 g/m(2) vs. 156.1 +/- 31.8 g/m(2)), although it did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.063). Alkaline phosphatase and PTH were significantly decreased during the study. However, serum calcium, phosphorus and blood pressure remained stable. Conclusion. The results of this study support the possibility that cinacalcet reduces arterial stiffness of SHPT patients with chronic renal disease after 12 months of treatment. Prospective, randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.