Table 2.
Association of different baseline characteristics with cortisol level at time of admission
| Univariate | Multivariate * | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortisol (nmol/l), mean (SD) | Coefficient (95% CI) | p-value | Coefficient (95% CI) | p-value | |
| Sociodemographics | |||||
| Female | 573 (301) | reference | |||
| Male | 568 (286) | -5 (-47 to 37) | 0.811 | -17 (-59 to 25) | 0.431 |
| Age | 2 (1 to 4) | 0.006 | 2 (0 to 4) | 0.016 | |
| Anthropometric measurements | |||||
| Height, cm | -4 (1 to 4) | 0.174 | |||
| Nutritional status | |||||
| NRS 2002 score (NRS 2002) | |||||
| NRS 2002 score = 3 | 517 (286) | reference | reference | ||
| NRS 2002 score = 4 | 571 (275) | 54 (3 to 106) | 0.04 | 31 (-21 to 83) | 0.242 |
| NRS 2002 score = ≥ 5 | 611 (313) | 94 (41 to 147) | 0.001 | 61 (6 to 117) | 0.031 |
| Nutritional intake 1 | |||||
| 75–100% | 507 (248) | reference | |||
| 50–75% | 550 (303) | 42 (-38 to 123) | 0.301 | ||
| 25–50% | 597 (293) | 90 (13 to 167) | 0.022 | ||
| 0–25% | 567 (294) | 60 (-24 to 144) | 0.163 | ||
| Loss of appetite | |||||
| No | 507 (266) | reference | |||
| Yes | 578 (296) | 71 (5 to 137) | < 0.001 | ||
| Main diagnosis | |||||
| Cancer | 561 (323) | -12 (-61 to 37) | 0.638 | 52 (-17 to 121) | 0.14 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 611 (270) | 46 (-20 to 112) | 0.168 | 138 (53 to 222) | 0.001 |
| Infection | 633 (293) | 86 (40 to 133) | < 0.001 | 22 (-48 to 93) | 0.533 |
| Renal disease | 625 (258) | 57 (-34 to 149) | 0.218 | 95 (-31 to 221) | 0.139 |
| Frailty | 562 (240) | -9 (-90 to 72) | 0.831 | 46 (-56 to 148) | 0.377 |
| Lung disease | 369 (273) | -214 (-301 to -127) | < 0.001 | -109 (-211 to -7) | 0.036 |
| Metabolic disease 2 | 632 (338) | 64 (-43 to 172) | 0.239 | 149 (29 to 269) | 0.015 |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Hypertension | 579 (299) | 21 (-22 to 63) | 0.337 | ||
| Malignant disease | 584 (313) | 21 (-22 to 64) | 0.335 | ||
| Chronic renal disease | 590 (257) | 32 (-12 to 75) | 0.152 | ||
| Chronic heart failure | 586 (271) | 20 (-34 to 74) | 0.474 | ||
| Diabetes mellitus 3 | 584 (290) | 18 (-32 to 67) | 0.48 | ||
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 487 (323) | -96 (-157 to -35) | 0.002 | ||
| CHD | 573 (263) | 4 (-45 to 53) | 0.876 | ||
| Labarotory parameters | |||||
| CRP (per 10 mg/l) | 11 (8 to 13) | < 0.001 | 13 (10 to 17) | < 0.001 | |
| Albumin (per 10 g/l) | -72 (-110 to -35) | < 0.001 | 43 (-6 to 91) | 0.084 | |
| Creatinine (per 10 umol/l) | 2 (1 to 4) | 0.005 | 3 (1 to 5) | 0.015 | |
| GFR ml/min | -2 (-3 to 0) | 0.086 | |||
| Phosphat mmol/l | -11 (-73 to 51) | 0.731 | -74 (-154 to 5) | 0.067 |
Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis to identify predictors of high cortisol concentrations upon admission. Values are mean (SD), and regression coefficients (95% CI) in nmol/l. Coefficients indicate the decrease or increase of cortisol concentrations in patients presenting with the characterstic compared to patients without the characteristic
Abbrevations: SD, standard deviation; cm, centimeter; BMI, body mass index; NRS, nutrional risk score; kg, kilogram; CHD, coronary heart disease;
CRP, C-reactive protein; GFR, glomerular filtration rate
1 Nutritional intake in percent of the prior normal nutritional intake
2 Metabolic disease included, but was not limited to, ketoacidosis, hypo- and hyperglycemia and electrolyte disturbances
including hypo- and hypernatriaemia, as well as hypo- and hyperkaliemia
3 Type 1 or Type 2