Dear colleagues,
I cordially invite you to join the ERA-endorsed 6th EUROD winter meeting in Leuven, Belgium from Jan 19-21, 2023.
Also this year, the CME (20 Jan 2023) tackles a clinically highly relevant topic: “Calcium and magnesium in CKD – Friend or Foe”
Exogenous calcium loading, especially through calcium containing phosphate binders, is appointed to be a major culprit of the excessive vascular calcification burden in patients with CKD. Calcium deposited in the vascular wall, however, may also originate from skeletal calcium efflux, driven by hyperparathyroidism or inflammation. The role of this endogenous calcium cycling in the pathophysiology of vascular calcification is underexposed in scientific literature. The connotation of calcium as a ‘vascular toxin’ triggered a ‘war on calcium’. As a consequence, many CKD patients risk ending up with a negative calcium balance, conferring an increased risk of osteoporosis with related morbidity and mortality. It is time for a more balanced view on calcium supplementation in CKD.
Magnesium, meanwhile, is experiencing a true Renaissance in CKD-MBD. Experimental and clinical (observational) data show that magnesium may not only attenuate vascular calcification, but also preserve bone health and confer a survival benefit. As a consequence, magnesium supplementation, either via Mg containing phosphate binders, or via the dialysate, has gained much interest in clinical centers. Pending confirmation by RCT, caution is warranted as overzealous supplementation is not without risks.
This years’ CME aims for an in depth discussion of current controversies with regard to calcium and magnesium supplementation in CKD. We welcome an outstanding international faculty. We attempt a bench to bed approach with ample time for interaction between speakers and audience.
I hope to see you all in Leuven,
Please find attached the “Save the date”, and below the link to the program and registration site.
ERA CMEs web page: https://www.era-online.org/en/congress-meetings/era-cme-courses/
VIEW THE PROGRAMME: https://www.era-online.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/225766-ERA-programma-EUROD-course-V5-f5.pdf
Best regards,
Pieter Evenepoel, MD, PhD, FERA
Chair EUROD, an initiative of the ERA CKD-MBD working group
