Cardiovascular events by different target hemoglobin levels in ESA-hyporesponsive hemodialysis patients: a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled study

Table 1 Patients’ baseline characteristics

Baseline characteristics	Proactive treatment group (n = 156)		Maintenance treatment group (n = 148)		P value
Baseline characteristics	Number	Mean ± SD or median (IQR)	Number	Mean ± SD or median (IQR)	P value
Age, years	156	68 ± 10	148	68 ± 12	0.73
Dry weight, kg	154	55.6 ± 11.1	147	55.2 ± 13.2	0.77
Dialysis vintage, years	156	8.9 ± 7.2	148	8.2 ± 7.7	0.41
Hb level, g/dL	156	9.3 ± 0.5	148	9.3 ± 0.5	0.82
Ferritin, ng/mL	156	123.5 (59.5, 194.7)	148	100.7 (57.0, 160.7)	0.035^a
TSAT%	134	28.4 ± 10.6	133	29.2 ± 10.6	0.54
Iron, μg/dL	143	53.4 ± 23.3	128	58.5 ± 25.5	0.09
UIBC, μg/dL	33	184.1 ± 47.8	33	184.2 ± 44.2	0.99
TIBC, μg/dL	103	227.2 ± 46.5	84	237.3 ± 49.0	0.15
Systolic blood pressure, mmHg	154	151.7 ± 24.0	148	152.5 ± 22.9	0.78
Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg	154	77.5 ± 13.8	148	77.3 ± 13.5	0.91
Serum albumin, g/dL	155	3.5 ± 0.4	148	3.5 ± 0.4	0.15
CRP	156	0.22 (0.06, 0.60)	148	0.18 (0.06, 0.60)	0.86

Prior ESA therapy	Number	Median (IQR)	Number	Median (IQR)	P-value^a
Epoetin beta pegol, µg/4Ws	29	150 (100, 150)	24	100 (100, 200)	0.69
Darbepoetin, µg/W	74	60 (40, 60)	74	40 (40, 60)	0.50
Erythropoietin, IU/W	53	9,000 (6,000, 9,000)	50	9,000 (6,000, 9,000)	0.80

Primary disease^b	Number	Ratio (%)	Number	Ratio (%)	P-value
Chronic glomerulonephritis	30	19	35	24	0.35
Diabetic nephropathy	65	42	53	36	0.30
Nephrosclerosis	17	11	16	11	0.98
Other disease	45	29	45	30	0.77

Complicating disease^b	Number	Ratio (%)	Number	Ratio (%)	P-value
Cardiac disease	76	49	81	55	0.30
Cardiac failure	27	17	29	20	0.66
Angina pectoris	48	31	39	26	0.45
Myocardial infarction	8	5	5	3	0.57
Arrhythmia	4	3	10	7	0.10
Others	40	26	38	26	1.00
Cerebrovascular disease	36	23	32	22	0.78
Arteriosclerosis obliterans	43	28	40	27	1.00
Diabetes mellitus	69	44	61	41	0.64
Hyperlipidemia	26	17	23	16	0.88

Concomitant medication	Number	Ratio (%)	Number	Ratio (%)	P value
RAS-I	70	45	75	51	0.31
β-blocker	18	12	15	10	0.69
Antiplatelet	75	48	77	52	0.49

P values were determined by t-test except for ^aWilcoxon rank-sum test. ^bMultiple answers allowed
ESA erythropoiesis-stimulating agent, Hb hemoglobin, IQR interquartile range, SD standard deviation, TIBC total iron binding capacity, TSAT transferrin saturation, UIBC unsaturated iron binding capacity, CRP C-reactive protein, W week, RAS-I renin–angiotensin–aldosterone inhibitor

ISSN: 2059-1381