Phosphorus

Reviewing the phosphorus content in nutrition shakes has got me wondering what the actual test result represent other than just high/low versus normal. I’ve received hundreds of pages of test results during the past few years but I don’t fully understand what they all mean. My last lab results for phosphorus was 4.2 mg/dL. I assume that is the concentration of phosphorus in my bloodstream. So if we use the 7% figure for blood/body weight, at 92 kg I have 6.44 liters of blood. Multiply that by 4.2 mg/dL gives me ~270 mg of phosphorus in my blood.

Phosphorus is an essential structural component of cell membranes and nucleic acids but is also involved in several biological processes, including bone mineralization, energy production, cell signaling through phosphorylation reactions, and regulation of acid-base homeostasis.

Linus Pauling Institute

I don’t know how much phosphorus the body uses daily so I’ll use their daily recommendation of 700 mg. If hemodialysis removes 800 mg per session, then that’s an average of 343 mg per day. Add my three Renvela tablets for a bit more (only about 50 mg), my intake allowance is ~1,100 mg per day. DaVita recommends a nutrition goal of 800 to 1,200 mg per day so it’s in the ballpark.