Long-term growth hormone treatment of children with chronic renal failure induces persistent catch-up growth, and the majority of patients achieve normal adult height.

Young adults with ESRD since childhood have systemic CVD characterized by a decrease in arterial elasticity, the occurrence of CAC and changes in left ventricular morphology. Treatment with calcium-containing phosphate binders and active vitamin D preparations is independently associated in a dose-dependent manner with surrogate markers for CVD.

RTx in children with ESRD induces moderate catch-up growth during the prepubertal growth period. However, final height is reduced in about one third of patients due to the reduced pubertal height gain and preexisting height deficit at the time of RTx.

Hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, aortic calcification, and aneurysm, without hypercalcemia, occurred in 1,25(OH)2D3-treated, 5/6 nephrectomized rats. These data indicate a permissive effect of uremia for cardiovascular damage induced by non-hypercalcemic doses of 1,25(OH)2D3.