Table 2.
Patient Characteristics Associated With Appropriate Laboratory Testing of Potassium and Creatinine
| Variable | Appropriate Testing, Risk Ratio (95% CI)a | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Initiation | Early Post-Initiation |
Extended Post-Initiation |
All Testing | |
| Age, per 5 years | 1.00 (1.00–1.01) | 0.98 (0.94–1.01) | 0.98 (0.96–1.00) | 0.95 (0.91–1.00) |
| Male | 0.98 (0.97–1.00) | 1.03 (0.91–1.16) | 1.04 (0.97–1.12) | 1.02 (0.86–1.21) |
| Race | ||||
| Black | 1.00 (0.98–1.01) | 0.89 (0.76–1.03) | 0.93 (0.85–1.01) | 0.89 (0.72–1.10) |
| White | 1.00 [Reference] | 1.00 [Reference] | 1.00 [Reference] | 1.00 [Reference] |
| Other/unknown | 0.95 (0.92–0.98) | 0.77 (0.60–0.98) | 0.77 (0.67–0.89) | 0.70 (0.49–0.99) |
| Medical history | ||||
| Acquired hypothyroidism | 1.04 (1.02–1.05) | 1.22 (1.09–1.37) | 1.26 (1.18–1.34) | 1.33 (1.14–1.55) |
| Anemia | 1.05 (1.04–1.07) | 1.21 (1.09–1.36) | 1.36 (1.27–1.46) | 1.45 (1.23–1.71) |
| Asthma | 1.01 (0.99–1.02) | 1.04 (0.91–1.20) | 1.07 (0.99–1.16) | 1.02 (0.84–1.23) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 1.03 (1.01–1.04) | 1.35 (1.22–1.49) | 1.22 (1.15–1.30) | 1.50 (1.30–1.73) |
| Benign prostatic hyperplasia | 1.03 (1.02–1.05) | 1.12 (0.95–1.32) | 1.03 (0.94–1.14) | 1.22 (0.98–1.52) |
| Cancer | 1.03 (1.02–1.05) | 1.06 (0.92–1.22) | 1.16 (1.08–1.26) | 1.14 (0.95–1.38) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 1.04 (1.03–1.05) | 1.40 (1.26–1.55) | 1.48 (1.39–1.57) | 1.83 (1.58–2.13) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 1.03 (1.02–1.04) | 1.27 (1.14–1.41) | 1.07 (1.01–1.14) | 1.29 (1.12–1.49) |
| Dementia, Alzheimer disease, or related condition | 1.00 (0.99–1.02) | 1.01 (0.89–1.14) | 1.00 (0.94–1.08) | 1.01 (0.86–1.20) |
| Depression | 1.01 (1.00–1.02) | 1.02 (0.91–1.15) | 1.07 (1.00–1.14) | 1.06 (0.90–1.24) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 1.04 (1.02–1.05) | 0.97 (0.87–1.08) | 1.13 (1.06–1.21) | 1.05 (0.91–1.22) |
| Hyperlipidemia | 1.05 (1.03–1.07) | 1.05 (0.93–1.19) | 1.09 (1.01–1.17) | 1.16 (0.97–1.39) |
| Hypertension | 1.13 (1.09–1.17) | 1.29 (1.02–1.64) | 1.18 (1.02–1.36) | 1.13 (0.81–1.59) |
| Ischemic heart disease | 1.00 (0.98–1.02) | 1.22 (1.05–1.43) | 1.11 (1.02–1.21) | 1.23 (0.98–1.53) |
| Osteoporosis | 1.03 (1.01–1.04) | 1.17 (1.01–1.36) | 1.10 (1.01–1.20) | 1.31 (1.07–1.60) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis | 1.00 (0.99–1.01) | 0.83 (0.75–0.93) | 1.02 (0.96–1.08) | 0.87 (0.75–1.00) |
| Stroke | 1.02 (1.00–1.03) | 1.10 (0.95–1.28) | 1.02 (0.94–1.12) | 1.08 (0.88–1.33) |
| Other medications | ||||
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 1.02 (1.01–1.03) | 1.16 (1.05–1.28) | 1.04 (0.99–1.11) | 1.05 (0.91–1.21) |
| β-Blocker | 1.02 (1.01–1.03) | 1.31 (1.17–1.47) | 1.03 (0.96–1.10) | 1.14 (0.98–1.33) |
| Diuretic | 1.03 (1.02–1.05) | 1.64 (1.41–1.91) | 1.31 (1.21–1.42) | 1.78 (1.44–2.21) |
Abbreviations: ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker.
a
Risk ratio of appropriate testing in multivariable analysis. Reference categories: age (per 5 year increase over age 65), sex (male vs female), race (vs white race), medical history (vs absence of condition), medications (vs no use of the medication). Testing includes allowances for hospitalizations.