Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study patients and comparisons of patients with different serum Al levels.
| Characteristics | Total patients (n = 866) | Serum Al level <2 ug/dL (n = 747) | Serum Al level ≥2 ug/dL (n = 119) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age (years) | 56.18 ± 13.59 | 56.14 ± 13.69 | 56.49 ± 12.94 | 0.79 |
| Male sex (Yes) | 440 (50.8%) | 50.9% | 50.4% | 0.99 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.19 ± 3.18 | 22.16 ± 3.20 | 22.37 ± 3.05 | 0.50 |
| Smoking (Yes) | 150 (17.3%) | 16.9% | 20.2% | 0.36 |
| Co-Morbidity | ||||
| Hypertension (Yes) | 339 (39.1%) | 39.6% | 36.1% | 0.48 |
| Diabetes mellitus (Yes) | 192 (22.2%) | 21% | 29.4% | 0.44 |
| Previous cardiovascular disease (Yes) | 41(4.7%) | 4.8% | 4.2% | 0.99 |
| Hepatitis B virus infection (Yes) | 98 (11.3%) | 11.1% | 12.6% | 0.64 |
| Hepatitis C virus infection (Yes) | 168 (19.4%) | 18.3% | 26.1% | 0.60 |
| Uremic pruritus (Yes) | 189 (21.8%) | 19.8% | 34.5% | 0.001 |
| Dialysis-Related Data | ||||
| HD duration (years) | 6.96 ± 5.35 | 6.84 ± 5.21 | 7.7 ± 6.14 | 0.10 |
| Erythropoietin (U/kg/week) | 73.62 ± 47.37 | 74.28 ± 47.23 | 69.44 ± 48.24 | 0.31 |
| Fistula as blood access (Yes) | 689 (79.6%) | 79.1% | 82.4% | 0.46 |
| Hemodiafiltration (Yes) | 187 (21.6%) | 21.8% | 20.2% | 0.81 |
| Kt/Vurea Daugirdas | 1.79 ± 0.32 | 1.80 ± 0.32 | 1.78 ± 0.32 | 0.51 |
| Normalized protein catabolic rate (g/kg/day) | 1.18 ± 0.26 | 1.18 ± 0.26 | 1.21 ± 0.29 | 0.18 |
| Residual daily urine volume > 100 mL | 178 (20.6%) | 20.9% | 18.5% | 0.62 |
| Biochemical Data | ||||
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 10.51 ± 1.36 | 10.52 ± 1.34 | 10.47 ± 1.50 | 0.74 |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 4.06 ± 0.34 | 4.06 ± 0.34 | 4.03 ± 0.36 | 0.25 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 10.88 ± 2.39 | 10.91 ± 2.38 | 10.71 ± 2.45 | 0.38 |
| Ferritin (μg/L) | 305.0 (129.57–504.45) | 305.1(135.52–509.62) | 305.7 (92.65–466.8) | 0.13 |
| Corrected-calcium (mg/dL) | 9.94 ± 0.93 | 9.93 ± 0.90 | 10.01 ± 1.10 | 0.39 |
| Phosphate (mg/dL) | 4.84 ± 1.35 | 4.85 ± 1.34 | 4.78 ± 1.44 | 0.62 |
| Intact parathyroid hormone (pg/mL) | 130.1 (52.52–319.2) | 127 (52.8–292.6) | 152.9 (41.9–431.9) | 0.20 |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 2.95 (1.4–7.01) | 2.88 (1.37–7.01) | 3.27 (1.57–7.01) | 0.78 |
| Serum Al (ug/dL) | 0.9 (0.6–1.4) | 0.8 (0.5–1.2) | 2.5 (2.2–3.3) | <0.001 |
| Cardiovascular Risk Factors | ||||
| Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 171.3 ± 37.66 | 171.55 ± 37.11 | 169.76 ± 41.10 | 0.63 |
| Triglyceride (mg/dL) | 164.33 ± 115.8 | 163.54 ± 114.18 | 169.29 ± 125.93 | 0.61 |
| Low density lipoprotein (mg/dL) | 94.83 ± 30.59 | 95.27 ± 30.56 | 92.09 ± 30.81 | 0.29 |
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, number (%), or median (interquartile range) unless otherwise specified.
Abbreviations: Al, aluminum; HD, hemodialysis; Kt/Vurea, dialysis clearance of urea.