Table 1 Main demographic, clinical and laboratory data of the whole study population and of the LUS + and LUS- groups. Data are expressed as mean ± SD or median (IR) when appropriate

Age, years

60.5 ± 18.1

58.7 ± 20.2

64.1 ± 13.1

0.51

Dialysis vintage, months

26.7 ( 43.7)

48.0 (43.5)

26.0 (12.5)

0.089

Male – (Female), n

15 (9)

11 (5)

4 (4)

0.37

Systolic blood pressure-preHD, mmHg

133 ± 21

127 ± 17

135 ± 22

0.38

Diastolic blood pressure-preHD, mmHg

69.8 ± 14.1

71.5 ± 11.8

69.0 ± 15.2

0.68

Heart rate-preHD, bpm

66.1 ± 10.3

70.5 ± 6.1

64.3 ± 11.3

0.15

Systolic blood pressure-postHD, mmHg

132 ± 24

123 ± 11

138 ± 18

0.11

Diastolic blood pressure-postHD, mmHg

72.2 ± 12.9

68.5 ± 9.8

74.1 ± 11.4

0.33

Heart rate-postHD, bpm

68.2 ± 10.3

72.2 ± 12.1

66.5 ± 10.2

0.23

Diabetes, n (%)

6 (25)

2 (33)

4 (67)

0.15

Patients on antihypertensive drugs, n (%)

17 (71)

11 (65)

6 (35)

0.75

Cardiovascular comorbidities, n (%)

6 (25)

5 (83)

1 (17)

0.31

Ultrafiltration volume, L

2.4 ± 0.7

2.4 ± 0.8

2.4 ± 0.6

0.92

Ultrafiltration volume, % of body weight

3.3 ± 1.1

3.3 ± 1.1

3.1 ± 1.1

0.68

Relative fluid overload, %

-5.0 ± 10.5

-5.1 ± 11.4

-4.8 ± 9.5

0.95

Kt/V

1.4 ± 0.1

1.4 ± 0.1

1.4 ± 0.1

0.67

nPCR, g/kg/day

1.1 ± 0.1

1.1 ± 0.1

1.1 ± 0.1

0.76

Hemoglobin, g/dl

10.5 ± 1.2

10.4 ± 1.3

10.8 ± 1.0

0.51

Serum PTH, pg/ml

126 (200)

171 (157)

180 ( 305)

0,59

Serum phosphorus, mg/dl

5.3 ± 1.6

5.1 ± 1.4

5.8 ± 2.1

0.32

Serum cholesterol, mg/dl

155 ± 45

162 ± 40

151 ± 48

0.58

Serum albumin, g/dl

3.6 ± 0.8

3.7 ± 1.0

3.4 ± 0.4

0.41

C Reactive protein, mg/dl

0.17 (0.76)

0.05 (0.65)

0.20 ( 0.51)

0.111

Serum BNP, pg/ml

252 (292)

330 (280)

94 (66)

0.003