Associate Professor Sunil Badve has received the NHMRC Project Grant for the PHOSPHATE Study. Patients with end-stage kidney disease requiring dialysis often have elevated blood levels of phosphate. Since high blood levels of phosphate are associated with increased risk of death and heart problems, clinical guidelines recommend prescribing phosphate-lowering medications to reduce the reducing phosphate levels in the blood.
However, the effect of lowering blood phosphate levels on important patient-centred outcomes has never been tested. The PHOSPHATE Study will evaluate whether compared to high levels, lowering blood phosphate levels would reduce death or major events due to heart disease, improve physical health, and be cost-effective. This international trial will be conducted in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. For further information about the trial, please contact phosphate@uq.edu.au.
For further information regarding these grants, please visit the following UQ news articles:
- $18 million NHMRC funding supports Faculty researchers, Faculty of Medicine
- $42m to tackle global health issues, UQ Communications
Congratulations to Dr Badve on this achievement.

