Table 1. Baseline patient characteristics.
| Patiromer | SPS | No K+ Binder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n = 610 | n = 5556 | n = 21,282 | |
| Demographics | |||
| Mean age, years (SD) | 74 (9) | 75 (9) | 74 (9) |
| Female, n (%) | 253 (41) | 2654 (48) | 10,485 (49) |
| Low income subsidy, n (%) | 227 (37) | 2096 (38) | 5651 (27) |
| Comorbidities (12 months before index date), n (%) | |||
| CKD | 386 (63) | 2804 (50) | 9999 (47) |
| ESRD | 27 (4) | 165 (3) | 555 (3) |
| Congestive heart failure | 110 (18) | 1155 (21) | 5105 (24) |
| Cancer | 48 (8) | 609 (11) | 2894 (14) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 269 (44) | 2351 (42) | 10,415 (49) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 63 (10) | 590 (11) | 2570 (12) |
| Myocardial infarction | 57 (9) | 649 (12) | 2941 (14) |
| Cardiac dysrhythmias | 110 (18) | 1142 (21) | 5711 (27) |
| Coronary artery disease | 160 (26) | 1544 (28) | 7090 (33) |
| Baseline medications (12 months before index date), n (%) | |||
| SPS | 275 (45) | 351 (6) | 1186 (6) |
| RAASi therapy | 421 (69) | 3980 (72) | 13,535 (64) |
| ACE inhibitor | 230 (38) | 2587 (47) | 8898 (42) |
| ARB | 205 (34) | 1497 (27) | 4712 (22) |
| MRA | 45 (7) | 593 (11) | 2183 (10) |
| Loop diuretic | 324 (53) | 2261 (41) | 6430 (30) |
| Thiazide | 134 (22) | 1129 (20) | 3899 (18) |
| Insulin | 232 (38) | 1657 (30) | 4223 (20) |
| Baseline serum K+ and eGFR (3 months before index date) | |||
| Mean serum K+, mmol/L (SD) | 5.6 (0.4) | 5.8 (0.5) | 5.5 (0.5) |
| K+, n (%) | |||
| 5.0 to < 5.5 mmol/L | 256 (42) | 1157 (21) | 10,873 (51) |
| 5.5 to < 6.0 mmol/L | 269 (44) | 2534 (46) | 7391 (35) |
| 6.0 to < 6.5 mmol/L | 67 (11) | 1436 (26) | 2064 (10) |
| ≥ 6.5 mmol/L | 18 (3) | 429 (8) | 954 (4) |
| Mean eGFR mL/min/1.73m2 (SD) | 33 (20) | 45 (26) | 56 (28) |
| eGFR, n (%) | |||
| ≥90 mL/min/1.73m2 | 7 (1) | 331 (6) | 2394 (12) |
| 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73m2 | 62 (10) | 1125 (21) | 6708 (34) |
| 30 to 59 mL/min/1.73m2 | 196 (32) | 1885 (35) | 6317 (32) |
| 15 to 29 mL/min/1.73m2 | 231 (38) | 1412 (27) | 3079 (15) |
| <15 mL/min/1.73m2 | 111 (18) | 567 (11) | 1391 (7) |
ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; CKD, chronic kidney disease; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; ESRD, end-stage renal disease; K+ potassium; MRA, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist; RAASi, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitor; SD, standard deviation; SPS, sodium polystyrene sulfonate.