Table 3 Changes of mortality for special causes of death in β2‐microglobulin positive and negative subjects.

	Men				Women
	β2‐MG	Death	Hazard ratio	(95% CI)	Death	Hazard ratio	(95% CI)
All causes
5 years (−1986)	−	86	1		64	1
	+	58	1.83	(1.27–2.62)***	66	1.79	(1.23–2.61)**
10 years (−1991)	−	216	1		164	1
	+	104	1.61	(1.25–2.07)***	145	1.82	(1.43–2.33)***
15 years (−1996)	−	367	1		271	1
	+	140	1.56	(1.27–1.92)***	199	1.86	(1.53–2.27)***
Malignant neoplasms
5 years (–1986)	−	24	1		14	1
	+	7	0.95	(0.39–2.33) NS	10	2.57	(1.03–6.43)*
10 years (–1991)	−	63	1		27	1
	+	14	0.84	(0.46–1.55) NS	21	2.89	(1.52–5.48)**
15 years (–1996)	−	103	1		59	1
	+	24	1.12	(0.75–1.92) NS	24	1.63	(0.97–2.74) NS
Heart failure
5 years (–1986)	−	7	1		7	1
	+	8	2.16	(0.64–6.34) NS	14	2.4	(0.8–6.58) NS
10 years (–1991)	−	22	1		30	1
	+	20	2.7	(1.41–5.15)**	34	1.83	(1.08–3.08)*
15 years (–1996)	−	38	1		41	1
	+	22	1.92	(1.10–3.35)*	46	2.16	(1.88–3.37)**
Cerebral infarction
5 years (–1986)	−	8	1		7	1
	+	11	2.78	(1.02–7.60)*	12	2.4	(0.87–6.58)NS
10 years (–1991)	−	22	1		15	1
	+	20	3.66	(1.36–9.88)*	23	2.42	(1.20–4.87)*
15 years (–1996)	−	31	1		23	1
	+	28	3.34	(1.92–5.80)***	31	2.64	(1.48–4.71)**
Digestive diseases
5 years (–1986)	−	7	1		4	1
	+	5	2.31	(0.66–8.15) NS	3	0.91	(0.19–4.48) NS
10 years (–1991)	−	12	1		11	1
	+	7	2.45	(0.88–6.80)*	10	1.62	(0.64–4.06)NS
15 years (–1996)	−	17			18	1
	+	8	2.6	(1.04–6.51)*	14	1.88	(0.89–3.99) NS
Nephritis and nephrosis
5 years (–1986)	−	0	–	–	1	–	–
	+	3	–	–	0	–	–
10 years (–1991)	−	4	1		2	1
	+	5	3.29	(0.82–13.3)*	3	2.63	(0.39–17.8) NS
15 years (–1996)	−	7	1		3	1
	+	10	5.66	(2.01–16.0)**	8	7.31	(1.78–30.1)***

β2‐MG(−), urinary β2‐microgrobulin <1000 μg/gCr; β2‐MG(+), urinary β2‐microgrobulin ⩾1000 μg/gCr; NS, not significant.

*p<0.05; **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.