ELN and chronic kidney disease: In chronic kidney disease (CKD), dysregulated mineral metabolism drives accelerated vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) death and senescence and accumulation of calcium (Ca) in the vessel wall.7 In diabetes, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), formed through nonenzymatic protein glycosylation due to increased levels of circulating glucose, accumulate on collagen and elastin.8 Correspondingly, patients with diabetes and CKD show accelerated calcification.9,10