Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of 109 718 MHD patients, including patients in eight groups of AST
| Characteristics | All MHD patients | AST (IU/L) |
P-value | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AST < 10 | 10 ≤ AST<15 | 15 ≤ AST < 20 | 20 ≤ AST < 25 | 25 ≤ AST < 30 | 30 ≤ AST < 35 | 35 ≤ AST < 40 | AST ≥ 40 | |||
| n = 109 718 | n = 2399 | n = 22 997 | n = 36 585 | n = 22 766 | n = 11 071 | n = 5415 | n = 2965 | n = 5520 | ||
| Age (years) | 63 ± 15 | 56 ± 17 | 61 ± 15 | 63 ± 15 | 65 ± 15 | 64 ± 15 | 63 ± 15 | 62 ± 14 | 60 ± 14 | <0.001 |
| Gender (% women) | 44 | 29 | 42 | 45 | 45 | 50 | 43 | 41 | 41 | 0.35 |
| Diabetes mellitus (%) | 58 | 46 | 54 | 59 | 61 | 49 | 61 | 61 | 58 | <0.001 |
| Race (%) | ||||||||||
| White | 47 | 42 | 46 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 45 | 41 | 40 | <0.001 |
| African American | 31 | 35 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 36 | 39 | 0.008 |
| Hispanic | 15 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | <0.001 |
| Asian | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | <0.001 |
| Other | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | <0.001 |
| Primary insurance (%) | ||||||||||
| Medicare | 54 | 46 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 53 | 51 | <0.001 |
| Medicaid | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 0.01 |
| Other | 39 | 45 | 41 | 40 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 38 | 40 | 0.006 |
| Dialysis access type (%) | ||||||||||
| CVC | 78 | 61 | 72 | 77 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 83 | <0.001 |
| AV fistula | 15 | 30 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | <0.001 |
| AV graft | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | <0.001 |
| AV other | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <0.001 |
| Unknown | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | <0.001 |
| Kt/V (dialysis dose) | 1.47 ± 0.33 | 1.42 ± 0.31 | 1.45 ± 0.31 | 1.47 ± 0.32 | 1.49 ± 0.34 | 1.48 ± 0.33 | 1.46 ± 0.32 | 1.47 ± 0.34 | 1.45 ± 0.33 | <0.001 |
| KRU (residual renal function) (mL/min) | 4.06 ± 3.55 | 3.63 ± 3.30 | 3.96 ± 3.28 | 4.07 ± 3.41 | 4.13 ± 3.79 | 3.45 ± 2.72 | 4.05 ± 3.51 | 4.44 ± 4.68 | 4.04 ± 4.14 | <0.001 |
| PT/INR | 2.00 ± 1.03 | 1.57 ± 0.70 | 1.86 ± 1.05 | 1.99 ± 1.04 | 2.00 ± 0.94 | 2.12 ± 1.07 | 2.16 ± 1.01 | 2.28 ± 1.24 | 2.07 ± 1.11 | <0.001 |
| Comorbidities (%) | ||||||||||
| Alcohol dependence | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <0.001 |
| Congestive heart failure | 37 | 33 | 34 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 38 | 38 | <0.001 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | <0.001 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | <0.001 |
| HIV-positive status | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.69 |
| History of cancer | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0.69 |
| History of hypertension | 51 | 54 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 49 | <0.001 |
| Atherosclerotic heart disease | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 0.647 |
| Liver disease | 1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0.002 |
| Other cardiovascular disease | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | <0.001 |
| Drug dependence | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <0.001 |
| Ever HCV positive | 8 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 24 | 31 | <0.001 |
| Serum levels | ||||||||||
| ALT (IU/L) | 16.1 ± 14.2 | 8.16 ± 3.50 | 10.2 ± 4.08 | 13.2 ± 5.34 | 17.3 ± 7.93 | 21.7 ± 11.8 | 26.2 ± 14.7 | 29.3 ± 15.1 | 47.9 ± 43.5 | <0.001 |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 3.51 ± 0.48 | 3.69 ± 0.48 | 3.58 ± 0.45 | 3.54 ± 0.46 | 3.50 ± 0.46 | 3.45 ± 0.48 | 3.39 ± 0.51 | 3.35 ± 0.52 | 3.22 ± 0.55 | <0.001 |
| Calcium (mg/dL) | 8.68 ± 0.63 | 8.67 ± 0.66 | 8.65 ± 0.63 | 8.69 ± 0.62 | 8.72 ± 0.62 | 8.70 ± 0.64 | 8.66 ± 0.65 | 8.62 ± 0.66 | 8.54 ± 0.66 | <0.001 |
| Bicarbonate (mg/dL) | 23.6 ± 2.70 | 22.7 ± 2.75 | 23.2 ± 2.69 | 23.6 ± 266 | 23.8 ± 2.68 | 23.9 ± 2.72 | 23.8 ± 2.73 | 23.7 ± 2.76 | 23.6 ± 2.76 | <0.001 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 5.86 ± 2.36 | 7.59 ± 3.01 | 6.39 ± 2.49 | 5.86 ± 2.28 | 5.59 ± 2.22 | 5.48 ± 2.23 | 5.48 ± 2.33 | 5.46 ± 2.24 | 5.44 ± 2.24 | 0.001 |
| Ferritin (ng/mL) | 283 (164, 486) | 231 (133, 400) | 253 (148, 428) | 273 (160, 459) | 292 (170, 501) | 305 (177, 526) | 332 (188, 573) | 241 (193, 599) | 400 (217, 719) | <0.001 |
| Blood hemoglobin (g/dL) | 11.1 ± 1.18 | 10.9 ± 1.23 | 11.0 ± 1.15 | 11.1 ± 1.15 | 11.2 ± 1.17 | 11.2 ± 1.22 | 11.2 ± 1.26 | 11.1 ± 1.25 | 11.0 ± 1.30 | <0.001 |
| Iron saturation ratio | 23.1 ± 9.13 | 22.7 ± 8.71 | 22.2 ± 8.11 | 22.5 ± 1.19 | 23.0 ± 8.62 | 23.7 ± 9.37 | 24.5 ± 10.8 | 25.4 ± 11.6 | 27.8 ± 14.3 | <0.001 |
| Lymphocyte (% of total WBC) | 20.7 ± 7.54 | 21.1 ± 7.56 | 20.6 ± 7.17 | 20.6 ± 7.33 | 20.6 ± 7.53 | 20.7 ± 7.91 | 20.9 ± 8.08 | 21.3 ± 8.25 | 21.6 ± 8.53 | <0.001 |
| Protein catabolic rate (g/kg/day) | 0.79 ± 0.22 | 0.82 ± 0.22 | 0.80 ± 0.21 | 0.79 ± 0.22 | 0.80 ± 0.22 | 0.79 ± 0.22 | 0.77 ± 0.22 | 0.77 ± 0.23 | 0.76 ± 0.23 | <0.001 |
| Phosphorus (mg/dL) | 4.92 ± 1.15 | 5.38 ± 1.27 | 5.10 ± 1.18 | 4.93 ± 1.13 | 4.83 ± 1.12 | 4.78 ± 1.13 | 4.77 ± 1.13 | 4.79 ± 1.16 | 4.79 ± 1.16 | <0.001 |
| TIBC (mg/dL) | 225 ± 49.1 | 225 ± 44.2 | 223 ± 45.4 | 224 ± 46.6 | 226 ± 50.0 | 227 ± 51.9 | 227 ± 54.9 | 229 ± 57.0 | 226 ± 61.0 | <0.001 |
| White blood cell (×103/µL) | 7.82 ± 2.68 | 7.69 ± 2.50 | 7.86 ± 2.49 | 7.87 ± 2.58 | 7.82 ± 2.60 | 7.78 ± 3.02 | 7.75 ± 3.03 | 7.67 ± 3.07 | 7.62 ± 3.05 | <0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 28.1 ± 7.33 | 28.6 ± 7.57 | 29.0 ± 7.65 | 28.3 ± 7.34 | 27.8 ± 7.19 | 27.5 ± 7.01 | 27.2 ± 7.04 | 27.1 ± 6.81 | 26.6 ± 6.96 | <0.001 |
Dichotomous/dummy variables are presented as percentage; continuous variables are presented as mean ± SD or median (IQR).
ALT, alanine transaminase; AV, arteriovenous; CVC, central venous catheter; HCV, hepatitis C virus; IQR, interquartile range; KRU, kidney residual time; PR/INR, prothrombin time/international normalized ratio; SD, standard deviation; TIBC, total iron-binding capacity; WBC, white blood cell.