Your chances of developing heart disease may be enhanced if you have high levels of serum phosphorous. This new finding was reported in the May 14, 2007 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. The results were based on a study conducted on 3368 individuals, 51% of whom were women. The study claims that people suffering from chronic kidney disease or having previous incidents of heart disease are more susceptible to cardiac problems or even death due to these cardiac problems, if they have high levels of serum phosphorous. The individuals with high levels of serum phosphorous i.e. higher than 3.5 mg/dL of serum phosphorous showed a 55% increased risk of suffering from heart disease. Other factors that were attributed to high serum phosphate levels were total/HDL cholesterol ratio, C-reactive protein, serum albumin level, estimated glomerular filtration rate to name a few. However, the study is restricted by lack of data on effects of dietary intake of phosphorous, levels of parathyroid hormone circulating in the body and other dietary determinants of cardiovascular disease. A further research taking into consideration these factors is imperative. Since the Framingham Offspring study is the only study of its kind to be reported, further investigations need to be done to confirm the claims of this study. Meanwhile, if indeed a link is established between elevated serum levels of phosphorous and increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, then there is treatment available to reduce phosphorous levels in serum. Image: Consciouslivingfoundation Via: Reuters