Toussaint ND, Pedagogos E, Lioufas NM, et al. - Since there exists uncertainty regarding the impacts of phosphate-lowering medication on vascular calcification as well as on arterial stiffness in CKD, therefore, researchers performed a multicenter, double-blind trial involving 278 patients with stage 3b or 4 CKD and serum phosphate > 1.00 mmol/L (3.10 mg/dl), to determine how intermediate cardiovascular markers could be impacted by non–calcium-based phosphate binders. The participants were randomly assigned to 500 mg lanthanum carbonate or matched placebo thrice daily for 96 weeks. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was the primary outcome, and secondary outcomes were abdominal aortic calcification and serum and urine markers of mineral metabolism. Findings demonstrated that arterial stiffness or aortic calcification, in patients with stage 3b/4 CKD, remained unaffected by treatment with lanthanum over 96 weeks vs placebo. Based on these data, the role of intestinal phosphate binders to attenuate cardiovascular risk among CKD patients with normophosphatemia was not supported.