Improvement in Discomfort and Decreased Blood Flow Associated with Severe Arterial Wall Calcification following Etidronic Acid

Excerpt

Long-term haemodialysis (HD) patients often have abnormal blood vessel wall calcification. Vascular wall calcification is also a major complication in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and diabetic patients. In addition to atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients, the calcification in diabetic patients is related to glyco-oxidative modification,[1] and that in ESRD has been thought to be dependent on, for example, oxidative stress inflammation and hyperphosphotaemia.[2] Although the reason for the calcification is complicated, patients do suffer as a result of it. Abnormal vessel wall calcification is associated with cardiovascular disease, which is one of the most important predictive factors in the prognosis of HD patients. The calcification also causes severe discomfort including pain, numbness, a sensation of coldness, and intractable ulcerations in the extremities due to decreased blood flow. The degree of vascular wall calcification in HD patients is much higher than in patients of the same age without HD.[3] …