This study is being done to find out whether patients who receive a kidney transplant can
benefit from taking the medication paricalcitol (trade name Zemplar®) as compared to kidney
transplant recipients not taking this medication. The main possible benefits being studied
are:
- Lower risk for overactive parathyroid glands after kidney transplantation.
- Lower risk of low bone density in the spine and hip after kidney transplantation. By
dividing patients in the study into a group receiving Zemplar® and a group not receiving
Zemplar®, it will be possible to understand the good and bad effects of Zemplar® during
the first year after a kidney transplant.