Control Phosphorus Levels with Iron-Based Binder

When your kidneys require regular dialysis treatments to maintain your health, it usually requires a major lifestyle change. That means your diet, exercise habits, lifestyle, and other factors may need adjusting. Anything you can do to maintain your health and prevent further kidney damage can help.

For a lot of people on dialysis, that includes taking a long list of medications, which can help, but also come with their own set of side effects. What if you could cut down on the amount of medications you need to take, and still control phosphorus levels? Now you can, according to a recent study presented at the 2016 Annual Dialysis Conference in Seattle. In the study, researchers tracked phosphorus levels in 943 adults. The typical dialysis patient in this study was taking almost 10 pills a day to manage their condition.

But when dialysis patients switched to an iron-based phosphate binder, their need for medication decreased dramatically. Researchers found the simple change helped over 25 percent of the dialysis patients in the study achieve acceptable levels of phosphorous. And it cut their need for medication down to about 4 pills a day. Less medication and less side effects with the same health outcomes. That’s a good move for everybody. Researchers also pointed out that other studies confirm their findings.

Managing your health and controlling sodium, potassium, and phosphorous is an important part of dealing with kidney disease when you need dialysis treatments. Talk to your doctor about your medications, and alternatives to control these factors.

Eating the right foods can help, too. But it’s not always easy to do when you’re on dialysis, because a lot of foods are off limits. Fortunately, we’ve made it a lot easier, and a lot tastier for dialysis patients to enjoy healthy food and easy-to-make meals. You’ll find a lot of options to choose from on our Dialysis-Friendly menu. Take a look, place an order, and enjoy.