What causes mineral and bone disorder in chronic kidney disease?

Chronic kidney disease causes mineral and bone disorder because the kidneys do not properly balance the mineral levels in the body. The kidneys

• stop activating calcitriol. The low levels of calcitriol in the body create an imbalance of calcium in the blood.
• do not remove the phosphorus in the blood properly, so phosphorus levels rise in the blood. The extra phosphorus pulls calcium out of the bones, causing them to weaken.

Another factor contributes to the cause of mineral and bone disorder. When the kidneys are damaged, the parathyroid gland releases parathyroid hormone into the blood to pull calcium from the bones and raise blood calcium levels. This response restores the balance of phosphorus and calcium; however, it also starves the bones of much-needed calcium