How does CKD cause bone disease?
There are several ways that CKD can affect your bones: • Activated vitamin D helps your body use phosphorus and calcium and store these important minerals in your bones and teeth. Healthy kidneys activate or ‘turn on’ vitamin D. When your kidneys aren’t working well, they lose the ability to activate vitamin D and this makes your bones weak because they don’t get the calcium they need to stay strong. • Calcium is a mineral that builds strong bones and helps your body send nerve signals. It’s found in many foods – mainly milk and other dairy products. When the calcium level in your blood drops, 4 small parathyroid glands in your neck make Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), which pulls calcium out of your bones. Too much PTH in your blood will pull too much calcium from your bones, making them weaker over time. • The mineral phosphorus is in most food we eat. Normally, extra phosphorus is removed from your blood by your kidneys and removed from your body in your urine. If your kidneys are not wo
