Table 1.
Patient Characteristics by Age Group in Older Patients Initiating Dialysis With a Catheter
| Age at Dialysis Initiation | ||
|---|---|---|
| 67-<77 y (n = 21,722) |
≥77 y (n = 22,219) |
|
| Demographics | ||
| Male sex | 11,526 (53.1%) | 11,464 (51.8%) |
| Race | ||
| White | 15,660 (72.1%) | 17,407 (78.7%) |
| Black | 5,042 (23.2%) | 3,705 (16.7%) |
| Other/unknown | 1,020 (4.7%) | 1,01 7 (4.6%) |
| Region | ||
| Northeast | 3,425 (15.8%) | 4,356 (19.7%) |
| Midwest | 5,344 (24.7%) | 5,673 (25.6%) |
| South | 8,864 (40.8%) | 7,936 (35.9%) |
| West | 3,938 (18.1%) | 4,041 (18.3%) |
| Comorbid Conditions | ||
| Comorbid score | 8.8 ± 4.6 | 9.5 ± 4.5 |
| Primary cause of kidney failure | ||
| Hypertension/large-vessel disease | 6,191 (28.5%) | 9,263 (41.9%) |
| Diabetes | 9,917 (45.7%) | 7,107 (32.1%) |
| Glomerulonephritis | 656 (3.0%) | 695 (3.1%) |
| Other | 4,958 (22.8%) | 5,064 (22.9%) |
| Diabetes | 15,452 (71.1%) | 13,194 (59.6%) |
| Hypertension | 15,824 (72.9%) | 16,740 (75.7%) |
| Coronary artery disease | 13,259 (61.0%) | 14,580 (65.9%) |
| Myocardial infarction | 5,531 (25.5%) | 5,816 (26.3%) |
| Atherosclerosis | 12,731 (58.6%) | 14,019 (63.4%) |
| Coronary revascularization | 1,386 (6.4%) | 1,190 (5.4%) |
| Congestive heart failure | 14,476 (66.6%) | 16,143 (73.0%) |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 11,023 (50.8%) | 12,029 (54.4%) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 6,544 (30.1%) | 7,050 (31.9%) |
| Stroke | 2,880 (13.3%) | 2,985 (13.5%) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 8,257 (38.1%) | 8,565 (38.7%) |
| Cancer | 4,165 (19.2%) | 4,786 (21.6%) |
| Depression | 3,984 (18.3%) | 3,649 (16.5%) |
| Dementia | 1,230 (5.7%) | 2,397 (10.8%) |
| Functional Status | ||
| Amputation | 448 (2.1%) | 225 (1.0%) |
| Inability to ambulate | 2,515 (11.6%) | 3,063 (13.8%) |
| Inability to transfer | 1,488 (6.9%) | 1,854 (8.4%) |
| Needs assistance with daily activities | 4,122 (19.0%) | 5,447 (24.6%) |
| Institutionalized | 3,191 (14.7%) | 4,612 (20.8%) |
| Laboratory Values | ||
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 29.4 ± 7.8 | 27.0 ± 6.6 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 9.6 [8.7-10.6] | 9.7 [8.8-10.6] |
| Serum albumin, g/dL | 3.0 [2.6-3.5] | 3.1 [2.6-3.5] |
| eGFR, mL/min/1.73 m2 | 13.2 ± 5.8 | 13.9 ± 5.7 |
| Care Patterns | ||
| Nephrology care | ||
| None or <6 mo | 14,463 (66.6%) | 14,661 (66.3%) |
| 6-12 mo | 3,204 (14.8%) | 3,151 (14.3%) |
| 12 mo | 4,055 (18.7%) | 4,317 (19.5%) |
| Facility type | ||
| Hospital-based | 1,956 (9.0%) | 2,089 (9.5%) |
| Freestanding | 19,716 (91.0%) | 19,985 (90.5%) |
| Profit status | ||
| For-profit | 18,143 (83.7%) | 18,287 (82.8%) |
| Nonprofit | 3,348 (15.5%) | 3,565 (16.2%) |
| Unknown | 181 (0.8%) | 222 (1.0%) |
Note: Values for categorical variables given as count (percentage); for continuous variables, as mean ± standard deviation or median [interquartile range].
Abbreviation: eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate.