American Kidney Fund Launches Phosphorus Management Education and Awareness Campaign

ROCKVILLE, Md. (March 19, 2024) — The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announced a new patient-focused educational awareness campaign on managing high phosphorus, also known as hyperphosphatemia. The goal of the campaign is to provide people on dialysis with up-to-date information that will help them manage their phosphorus levels through medication and diet. This campaign has been developed with grant support from Ardelyx.

Phosphorus is a mineral found in many foods and certain medicines that the body uses to keep bones strong and healthy. The kidneys work to balance phosphate – the type of phosphorus found in blood – to help balance fluid levels in the body; however, with kidney disease, the kidneys may not be able to remove extra phosphorus, which can harm the body. While high phosphorus levels often do not cause symptoms on their own, extra phosphorus can lead to low calcium levels, which can cause symptoms such as muscle cramps, bone and joint pain, weak bones and itchy skin, and can increase the likelihood of broken bones.

"Phosphorus management is critical for people who are in kidney failure, but it is something that can present challenges for people on dialysis," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "We are grateful to Ardelyx for their support of AKF programs that provide the dialysis community with the resources and information they need to track and manage their phosphorus levels and ultimately live healthier lives." 

High phosphorus is typically treated with phosphate-lowering medications and eating foods low in phosphorus. AKF's phosphorus management education campaign will work to raise awareness among dialysis patients about why phosphorus levels matter, ways to manage phosphorus intake with low phosphorus foods and fluids, and information about existing and new phosphate lowering medications, including phosphate blockers. The campaign will provide people with a host of resources, including a patient-facing education page on AKF's website; a page on AKF's nutrition website, Kidney Kitchen®; downloadable guides on talking to your doctor about phosphorus and low phosphorus foods; and a patient-facing session on hyperphosphatemia management at Kidney Action Week 2024.  

"At Ardelyx, we're dedicated to addressing unmet medical needs and improving the lives of patients, which is why we're proud to support the American Kidney Fund and the launch of their new phosphorus management campaign," said Mike Raab, president and chief executive officer of Ardelyx. "Increasing disease awareness as well as access to education is essential for the dialysis community. We hope that this campaign provides much-needed information to patients and families and can make an impact on their disease management."