FlashMed

Two new clinical trials highlight refinements in the use of vitamin D and its analogs in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in endstage renal disease (ESRD), and the treatment of proteinuria in diabetics. In patients with ESRD, alfacalcidol is as effective as paricalcitol in suppressing parathyroid hormone; the occurrence of hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia is infrequent and similar with the two analogs. Oral cholecalciferol reduces albuminuria and urinary transforming growth factor- _ 1 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and proteinuria.