Table 1. Baseline characteristics of stage 5 CKD patients stratified by ESA user and non-user.
| Characteristic | ESA user | ESA non-user | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| N = 373 | N = 50 | ||
| Age (year) | 60 ± 12 | 62 ± 13 | 0.27 |
| Male sex (%) | 43% | 42% | 0.88 |
| MAP (mmHg) | 96 ± 11 | 98 ± 12 | 0.14 |
| Smoker (%) | 17% | 26% | 0.10 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24 ± 4.7 | 25 ± 3.6 | 0.06 |
| Use of RAAS blockade | 26% | 40% | 0.04 |
| Primary etiology for CKD | |||
| Primary glomerular disease (%) | 39% | 36% | 0.67 |
| Diabetes mellitus (%) | 30% | 30% | 0.99 |
| Hypertension (%) | 8% | 2% | 0.15 |
| Obstructive nephropathy (%) | 2.4% | 6% | 0.16 |
| Polycystic kidney disease (%) | 3.5% | 4% | 0.69 |
| Unknown (%) | 11% | 14% | 0.53 |
| Comorbidity | |||
| Diabetes mellitus (%) | 38% | 50% | 0.11 |
| Hypertension (%) | 66% | 64% | 0.81 |
| Ischemic heart diseasea (%) | 11% | 14% | 0.53 |
| Stroke (%) | 2.7% | 6% | 0.19 |
| Malignancy (%) | 4% | 8% | 0.26 |
| Dyslipidemia (%) | 15% | 20% | 0.31 |
| Gout (%) | 8% | 14% | 0.19 |
| Laboratory parameters | |||
| eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) | 9.4 ± 2.8 | 12.0 ± 2.6 | <0.01 |
| Hb (g/dL) | 9.3 ± 1.5 | 10.4 ± 1.8 | <0.01 |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 4.2 ± 0.4 | 4.4 ± 0.5 | 0.06 |
| Log UPCR (mg/mg) | 3.3 ± 0.4 | 3.3 ± 0.4 | 0.24 |
| HbA1C (%) | 6.7 ± 1.3 | 6.4 ± 0.8 | 0.22 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 181 (152–216) | 188 (161–207) | 0.87 |
| Calcium (mmol/L) | 2.2 ± 0.2 | 2.2 ± 0.3 | 0.69 |
| Phosphate (mg/dL) | 4.9 ± 1.1 | 4.4 ± 0.9 | <0.01 |
| Sodium (mmol/L) | 138 ± 4 | 138 ± 4.0 | 0.34 |
| Potassium (mmol/L) | 4.8 ± 0.7 | 4.5 ± 0.7 | 0.01 |
| Uric acid (mg/dL) | 8.5 ± 1.9 | 8.7 ± 2.5 | 0.53 |
Continuous variables were presented as mean ± s.d. or as median (interquartile range). Difference of continuous variables between ESA user and non-user were compared with the Student’s t-test or the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. Categorical variables were presented as percentages and analyzed with the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. aIschemic heart disease includes coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure.
Abbreviation: BMI, body mass index; CKD, chronic kidney disease; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; ESA, erythropoiesis-stimulating agent; Hb, hemoglobin; HbA1C, glycated hemoglobin; MAP, mean arterial pressure; RAAS, Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System; UPCR, urine protein-creatinine ratio.