Comparative effectiveness of calcium acetate and sevelamer on clinical outcomes in elderly hemodialysis patients enrolled in Medicare part D.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Phosphate binders are an important therapeutic option for managing hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis patients. Whether sevelamer confers a survival advantage over calcium acetate is unclear. STUDY DESIGN:Observational cohort study using US Renal Data System (USRDS) data linked to Medicare Part D prescription drug data. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS:Medicare-enrolled elderly incident hemodialysis patients initiating calcium acetate or sevelamer therapy between July 1, 2006, and March 31, 2011. PREDICTOR:Prescription for sevelamer (hydrochloride or carbonate) or calcium acetate. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS:All-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality, hospital admissions and hospital days assessed from Medicare Parts A, B, and D claims and other USRDS data. RESULTS:The sevelamer and calcium-acetate groups included 16,916 and 18,335 patients, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, all-cause (21.9 vs 21.8 deaths/100 patient-years; adjusted HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-1.03) and cardiovascular (8.7 vs 8.6 deaths/100 patient-years; HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.93-1.04) mortality did not differ significantly between the sevelamer and calcium-acetate (referent) groups. Mortality results in propensity score-matched cohorts showed significantly lower risk of death in sevelamer- than in calcium-acetate-treated patients (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91-0.98). Mortality results from additional analyses including only patients with low-income subsidy status were consistent with results from analyses including patients with and without low-income subsidy status. There were no significant differences between the sevelamer and calcium-acetate groups for all-cause and cardiovascular-related first hospitalization, multiple hospitalizations, and hospital days. LIMITATIONS:Results may not be applicable to younger patients; information about laboratory data and over-the-counter calcium-containing binders was lacking. CONCLUSIONS:Relative to treatment with calcium acetate, treatment with sevelamer was associated with similar or slightly lower risk of death and similar risk of hospitalization in elderly incident hemodialysis patients.
SUBMITTER: Yusuf AA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4069228 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
ACCESS DATA