Table 1 Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, biomarkers and HRQOL scores

Age (yrs); median (25th to 75th percentiles)

51.5 (39 to 62)

Female; N (%)

236 (39.6)

Non-white race; N (%)

63 (10.6)

Cause of ESRD:

 Glomerulonephritis; N (%)

171 (28.7)

 Diabetic Nephropathy; N (%)

106 (17.8)

 Polycistic kidney disease; N (%)

54 (9.1)

 Hypertension; N (%)

48 (8.1)

 Other/Unknown; N (%)

217 (36.4)

Dialysis duration (mo); median (25th to 75th percentiles)

9 (6 to 14)

Dialysis access:

 Fistula; N (%)

502 (84.2)

 Graft; N (%)

33 (5.5)

 Catheter; N (%)

61 (10.2)

Assigned to high Hb target; N (%)

296 (49.7)

Epoetin dosage (U/wk); median (25th to 75th percentiles); n = 584

6000 (4000 to 8000)

BMI (kg/m²); median (25th to 75th percentiles)

25.5 (22.6 to 29.3)

Systolic BP (mmHg); median (25th to 75th percentiles); n = 595

140 (130 to 158)

Diastolic BP (mmHg); median (25th to 75th percentiles); n = 596

80 (71 to 90)

Hemoglobin (g/dl); median (25th to 75th percentiles); n = 580

11 (10.2 to 11.7)

Serum albumin (g/L); median (25th to 75th percentiles); n = 588

40 (38 to 41)

Urea reduction ratio (%); median (25th to 75th percentiles); n = 572

67 (60 to 72.5)

Biomarkers; median (25th to 75th percentiles)

Cardiac: Troponin T (ng/ml); n = 481

0.021 (0.009 to 0.051)

NT-proBNP (pg/ml); n = 481

289.2 (137.3 to 651.9)

Inflammatory: C-Reactive protein (mg/L); n = 481

3.47 (1.47 to 8.13)

IL-6 (pg/ml); n = 481

4.39 (2.69 to 8.8)

Leptin (ng/ml); n = 481

12.4 (3.7 to 43.8)

Quality of life domains; median (25th to 75th percentiles)

SF-36 Physical functioning; n = 457

70 (50 to 85)

SF-36 Vitality; n = 457

55 (40 to 75)

FACIT Fatigue; n = 572

73.1 (57.7 to 86.3)