Patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease are more likely to die if they have elevated levels of a certain hormone, a new study says. Endocrine hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) regulates phosphorus metabolism. It was known that levels of FGF-23 increase as kidney function declines and that high levels of the hormone are associated with increased risk of death in patients with kidney failure. But little was known about how elevated levels of FGF-23 affect outcomes of patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease.
