Effect of the Time of Administration of Calcium Acetate on Phosphorus Binding

Abstract

Phosphorus binders are given to patients with renal failure to increase gastrointestinal excretion of phosphorus. To determine the relative importance of the binding of dietary as compared with endogenous phosphorus and to determine the optimal dose schedule, we gave either 4.4 g of calcium acetate (25 mmol of calcium) or a placebo to six normal subjects on each of seven different schedules in a randomized sequence. The net gastrointestinal balance of phosphorus and calcium was determined by a one-day lavage technique.