FlashMed

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health problem. Cardiovascular disease is common in CKD, but standard risk assessment tools perform poorly in this population. Equally, despite CKD being associated with an increased risk for death and dialysis, standard biochemical measurements have limited prognostic value. Novel serum biomarkers may aid risk assessment; however, studies have shown varying clinical utility in relation to progression of CKD, incident cardiovascular disease and death. This inconsistency may relate to limitations in our understanding of the biological actions and interactions of these biomarkers. This review discusses a range of biomarkers in relation to these clinical endpoints in CKD-mineral bone disorder. We consider where biomarkers may enhance risk stratification and improve clinical management, but also highlight where they fall short of achieving this objective.