Serum phosphate is associated with left ventricular mass in patients with chronic kidney disease: a cardiac magnetic resonance study.

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between serum phosphate, arterial stiffness and left ventricular mass (LVM) in patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD).DesignA cross-sectional observational study.SettingSingle centre.Patients208 patients with stage 2 to stage 4 non-diabetic CKD.InterventionsArterial stiffness was determined through measurement of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV). Cardiac magnetic resonance was used to determine LVM.Main outcome measureRelationship between serum phosphate, aortic PWV and LVM.ResultsMean age was 54±13 years, mean glomerular filtration rate was 50±15 ml/min/1.73 m(2), mean serum phosphate was 1.11±0.21 mmol/l and mean PWV was 8.6±2.1 m/s. When the cohort was divided into quartiles according to serum phosphate, LVM increased across quartiles (p=0.04), with no significant differences in age, kidney function, blood pressure or PWV. Serum phosphate correlated with LVM (r=0.173; p=0.01), but PWV did not (p=0.2). In a regression model containing gender, serum phosphate, office systolic blood pressure, albumin/creatinine ratio and haemoglobin, 30% of the variation in LVM was explained (p