The blood levels of a particular hormone can help predict which kidney disease patients will develop heart problems, need dialysis, and die prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Testing for this hormone could identify which patients need early treatment, thereby lowering their health risks and lengthening their lives. In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), blood levels of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) rise in parallel with declining kidney function...

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