Table 1 Clinical and laboratory characteristics in all 1580 patients initiating dialysis and when divided based upon initial therapy of PD or HD

Age, years

67.0 (54.4–74.7)

66.3 (53.5–74.4)

67.3 (55.2–75.0)

0.20

Males

1,012 (64.1%)

363 (64.7%)

649 (63.7%)

0.69

BMI, kg/m² (n = 1369)

25.8 (22.9–29.4)

25.8 (23.0–28.7)

25.8 (22.8–30.0)

0.26

Albumin, g/L (n = 1412)

33.0 (28.0–37.9)

34.9 (30.0–38.0)

32.0 (27.0–37.0)

 < 0.001

eGFR epi ml/min1.73 m²

6.7 (5.0–8.5)

7.2 (5.7–9.3)

6.4 (4.7–8.2)

 < 0.001

High eGFR loss rate^a n(%)

527 (43.4%)

134 (28.3%)

393 (53.1%)

 < 0.001

Renal diagnosis

 Diabetic nephropathy

386 (24.4%)

145 (25.8%)

241 (23.7%)

0.33

 Polycystic kidney disease

105 ( 6.6%)

45 ( 8.0%)

60 ( 5.9%)

0.10

 Glomerulonephritis

283 (17.9%)

116 (20.7%)

167 (16.4%)

0.033

 Chronic interstitial nephritis

186 (11.8%)

51 ( 9.1%)

135 (13.2%)

0.014

 Hypertensive nephropathy

301 (19.1%)

117 (20.9%)

184 (18.1%)

0.18

Comorbidity

 Previous myocardial infarct

170 (10.8%)

57 (10.2%)

113 (11.1%)

0.57

 Heart failure

262 (16.6%)

89 (15.9%)

173 (17.0%)

0.57

 Other heart disease

196 (12.4%)

59 (10.5%)

137 (13.4%)

0.091

 Cerebrovascular

188 (11.9%)

60 (10.7%)

128 (12.6%)

0.27

 Clinical diabetes mellitus

548 (34.7%)

196 (34.9%)

352 (34.5%)

0.87

 Peripheral atherosclerosis

193 (12.2%)

57 (10.2%)

136 (13.3%)

0.064

 Cancer

261 (16.5%)

73 (13.0%)

188 (18.4%)

0.005

 Pulmonary

150 ( 9.5%)

44 ( 7.8%)

106 (10.4%)

0.097

 Hepatic

60 ( 3.8%)

19 ( 3.4%)

41 ( 4.0%)

0.53

 Previous transplant

81 ( 5.1%)

22 ( 3.9%)

59 ( 5.8%)

0.11

 Psychiatric

67 ( 4.2%)

14 ( 2.5%)

53 ( 5.2%)

0.011

Biochemical

 Hemoglobin, ref ≥ 7 mmol/L

1,142 (73.1%)

336 (61.0%)

806 (79.7%)

 < 0.001

 Urea, ref =  < 30 mmol/L

876 (57.1%)

230 (42.7%)

646 (65.0%)

 < 0.001

 Potassium < 5 ref

414 (26.8%)

93 (17.0%)

321 (32.2%)

 < 0.001

 Bicarbonate ref =  < 15 mmol/L

1,048 (89.3%)

393 (97.5%)

655 (85.1%)

 < 0.001

 Ionized calcium ≥ 1.15 mmol/L

769 (51.2%)

331 (62.0%)

438 (45.3%)

 < 0.001

 Phosphate ≥ 2.0 mmol/L

654 (44.2%)

171 (32.0%)

483 (51.2%)

 < 0.001

Clinical complications at DI

 Pulmonary stasis

126 ( 8.2%)

22 ( 4.0%)

104 (10.5%)

 < 0.001

 Dyspnea

70 ( 4.5%)

18 ( 3.3%)

52 ( 5.2%)

0.075

 Cerebral symptoms

16 ( 1.0%)

1 ( 0.2%)

15 ( 1.5%)

0.014

 Edema

117 ( 7.6%)

39 ( 7.1%)

78 ( 7.9%)

0.58

 Cardiac symptoms

36 ( 2.3%)

14 ( 2.5%)

22 ( 2.2%)

0.68

 Fatigue

293 (19.0%)

128 (23.2%)

165 (16.6%)

0.001

 Anorexia

227 (14.7%)

104 (18.9%)

123 (12.4%)

 < 0.001

Mortality rate^b

 0 – 3 months, n(%)

108(23.90)

23(14.11)

85(29.42)

0.001

 3 – 6 months, n(%)

78(18.86)

22(14.15)

56(21.37)

0.12

 6 – 9 months, n(%)

68(17.96)

27(19.59)

41(17.96)

0.56

 9 – 12 months, n(%)

53(15.43)

20(16.10)

33(15.02)

0.80

 0 – 12 months, n(%)

307(19.33)

92 (15.95)

215(21.26)

0.02