Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 181 hemodialysis patients
| Age (years) | 56.0 ± 16.6 |
| Female – n (%) | 74 (40.9) |
| Race/ethnicity – n (%) | |
| Black | 79 (43.7) |
| Hispanic | 71 (39.2) |
| Caucasian | 22 (12.1) |
| Other | 9 (5.0) |
| Hypertension – n (%) | 176 (97.2) |
| Diabetes Mellitus – n (%) | 108 (59.7) |
| Cardiovascular Disease – n (%) | 116 (64.1) |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease– n (%) | 15 (8.3) |
| Smoking – n (%) | |
| Current | 24 (13.3) |
| Former | 33 (18.2) |
| Never | 53 (29.3) |
| Unknown | 71 (39.2) |
| Body Mass Index - kg/m2 – n (%) | |
| Underweight (≤18.49) | 4 (2.2) |
| Normal (18.5 – 24.9) | 62 (34.3) |
| Overweight (25 – 29.9) | 64 (35.4) |
| Obese (≥30) | 51 (28.2) |
| ESRD Etiology – n (%) | |
| Diabetes | 87 (48.1) |
| Hypertension | 45 (24.9) |
| Glomerulonephritis | 12 (6.6) |
| Polycystic Kidney Disease | 3 (1.7) |
| Lupus | 8 (4.4) |
| HIV | 7 (3.9) |
| Other/Unknown | 19 (10.5) |
| Initial Access Type – n (%) | |
| Catheter | 75 (41.4) |
| AVF | 66 (36.5) |
| AVG | 40 (22.1) |
| Medication use – n (%) | |
| Diuretic | 25 (13.8) |
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 63 (34.8) |
| Beta blocker | 133 (73.5) |
| Calcium Channel Blocker | 109 (60.2) |
| Statin | 93 (51.4) |
| Proton Pump Inhibitor | 51 (28.2) |
| H2 Blocker | 10 (5.5) |
| Phosphate binder– n (%)a | |
| Sevelamer Hydrochloride | 76 (42.0) |
| Calcium Acetate | 38 (21.0) |
| Sevelamer Carbonate | 21 (11.6) |
| Lanthanum Carbonate | 6 (3.3) |
| Calcium Carbonate | 6 (3.3) |
| None | 34 (18.8) |
| Epoetin alpha dose (Units) | |
| ≤5000 | 57 (31.5) |
| >5000 – ≤10,000 | 96 (53.0) |
| ≥10,000 | 28 (15.5) |
| Interdialytic weight gain (kg) | 2.77 ± 0.93 |
| Dialysis treatment time (min) | 228.4 ± 18.0 |
| Blood flow rate (mL/min) | 382 ± 31 |
| Dialysate flow rate (mL/min) | 603 ± 33 |
| Serum bicarbonate (mEq/L)b | 23.0 ± 2.2 |
| Serum potassium (mEq/L)b | 4.6 ± 0.6 |
| Serum albumin (mg/dL)b | 3.7 ± 0.5 |
| Serum calcium (mg/dL)b | 8.9 ± 0.6 |
| Serum phosphate (mg/dL)b | 5.1 ± 1.2 |
| Serum hemoglobin (g/dL)b | 10.8 ± 1.2 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL)b | 8.0 ± 2.9 |
| WBC (103/mm3)b | 7.5 ± 2.1 |
| nPCR (g/kg/day)b | 0.82 ± 0.18 |
| spKt/Vb | 1.6 ± 0.28 |
Abbreviations: BMI body-mass index; AVF arteriovenous fistula; AVG arteriovenous graft; ESRD end-stage renal disease; nPCR normalized protein catabolic rate; spKt/V single-pool Kt/V; WBC white blood cells
aPhosphate binder data reflect prescriptions within the first 120 days after admission to the dialysis unit
bLaboratory data are the mean value of all measurements within the first 90 days after admission to the dialysis unit