A common feature of ESRD is vascular calcification, a process where blood vessels (especially arteries) attract deposits of the mineral calcium. Over time, these deposits harden and thicken in the layers of blood vessels, which limit blood flow to body tissues and can produce significant disease including hypertension, heart disease and stroke. Although the process of vascular calcification is unknown, there is mounting evidence that it is mediated by cellular events that are similar to those seen in bone formation with in the body (osteogenesis). With this point in mind, it has been suggested that agents medicine employs to limit excess bone formation will reduce the rate of vascular calcification in CKD Stage 5.