Table 3.

Association of K_D^a with mortality

	Patient Level						Instrumental Variable Approach
	KD ≤1.5 (versus ≥3)			KD=2–2.5 (versus ≥3)			KD ≤1.5 (versus ≥3)			KD=2–2.5 (versus ≥3)
	HR	95% CI	P	HR	95% CI	P	HR	95% CI	P	HR	95% CI	P
All patients (N=37,741)
all-cause mortality	1.13	(1.03–1.25)	0.01	1.08	(1.01–1.16)	0.03	1.09	(0.88–1.35)	0.43	1.23	(1.04–1.45)	0.01
sudden death	1.39	(1.12–1.74)	0.004	1.17	(1.01–1.37)	0.04	1.67	(0.99–2.81)	0.05	1.61	(1.12–2.30)	0.01
other cardiovascular death	1.14	(0.95–1.36)	0.16	1.04	(0.91–1.19)	0.54	1.11	(0.75–1.64)	0.62	1.23	(0.90–1.68)	0.19
noncardiovascular death	0.99	(0.84–1.17)	0.93	1.05	(0.94–1.16)	0.38	0.84	(0.61–1.16)	0.29	1.03	(0.83–1.29)	0.76
Among patients with serum K ≥5 (n=17,327)
all-cause mortality	1.09	(0.95–1.26)	0.23	1.08	(0.97–1.20)	0.17	1.13	(0.87–1.47)	0.37	1.23	(0.99–1.52)	0.06
sudden death	1.21	(0.91–1.61)	0.18	1.11	(0.90–1.38)	0.33	1.27	(0.73–2.22)	0.40	1.30	(0.81–2.08)	0.28
other cardiovascular death	1.16	(0.88–1.52)	0.29	1.00	(0.82–1.21)	0.97	1.18	(0.74–1.88)	0.49	1.17	(0.79–1.72)	0.44
noncardiovascular death	0.97	(0.77–1.22)	0.81	1.10	(0.93–1.31)	0.27	1.02	(0.70–1.47)	0.93	1.21	(0.87–1.69)	0.25
Among patients with serum K <5 (n=20,414)
all-cause mortality	1.15	(1.00–1.33)	0.04	1.06	(0.98–1.15)	0.15	1.04	(0.80–1.36)	0.76	1.23	(1.03–1.46)	0.02
sudden death	1.53	(1.10–2.13)	0.01	1.18	(0.98–1.42)	0.08	2.01	(0.96–4.24)	0.06	1.86	(1.31–2.63)	<0.001
other cardiovascular death	1.05	(0.85–1.31)	0.64	1.05	(0.88–1.24)	0.58	0.94	(0.56–1.56)	0.80	1.23	(0.86–1.76)	0.26
noncardiovascular death	1.03	(0.77–1.38)	0.83	1.00	(0.88–1.15)	0.95	0.77	(0.51–1.15)	0.20	0.95	(0.75–1.22)	0.71

HRs and confidence intervals CIs adjusted for variables listed in Table 1 and in the Materials and Methods, stratified by phase and country and accounted for facility clustering. IV, instrumental variable; HR, hazard ratio; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval. K_D, dialysate potassium.

^aK_D ≤1.5, n=5493; K_D=2–2.5, n=25,552; K_D≥3, n=6696.