Phosphate depletion, a physiological condition commonly seen in certain patient populations, including alcoholics, malnourished, acutely ill patients, patients receiving parenteral nutrition, patients being re-fed after prolonged fasting, and dialysis patients, requires intravenous supplementation when oral repletion is not feasible. This invention provides a method and pharmaceutical composition for therapeutic administration of pyrophosphate, instead of phosphate, for phosphate or pyrophosphate repletion. During hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis significant removal of phosphate and pyrophosphate occurs. Pyrophosphate depletion predisposes patients to vascular calcification. This invention further provides a method and pharmaceutical composition for therapeutic administration of pyrophosphate for phosphate or pyrophosphate repletion by addition of pyrophosphate to hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis solutions.
