Navaneethan SD, Schold JD, Arrigain S, Jolly SE, Wehbe E, Raina R, Simon JF, Srinivas TR, Jain A, Schreiber MJ, Nally JV. Serum bicarbonate and mortality in stage 3 and stage 4 chronic kidney disease.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2011;
6:2395-402. [PMID:
21885787 PMCID:
PMC3359558 DOI:
10.2215/cjn.03730411]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 07/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The incidence and prevalence of metabolic acidosis increase with declining kidney function. We studied the associations of both low and high serum bicarbonate levels with all-cause mortality among stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
We examined factors associated with low (<23 mmol/L) and high (>32 mmol/L) serum bicarbonate levels using logistic regression models and associations between bicarbonate and all-cause mortality using Cox-proportional hazard models, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and time-dependent analysis.
RESULTS
Out of 41,749 patients, 13.9% (n = 5796) had low and 1.6% (n = 652) had high serum bicarbonate levels. After adjusting for relevant covariates, there was a significant association between low serum bicarbonate and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.23, 95% CI 1.16, 1.31). This association was not statistically significant among patients with stage 4 CKD and diabetes. The time-dependent analysis demonstrated a significant mortality risk associated with a decline from normal to low bicarbonate level (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.49, 1.69). High serum bicarbonate levels were associated with death irrespective of the level of kidney function (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.52, 2.00). When serum bicarbonate was examined as a continuous variable, a J-shaped relationship was noted between serum bicarbonate and mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
Low serum bicarbonate levels are associated with increased mortality among stage 3 CKD patients and patients without diabetes. High serum bicarbonate levels are associated with mortality in both stage 3 and stage 4 CKD patients.
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