Clinical characteristics of patients at baseline and during follow-up stratified by survival and by CVD events.

Mean ± SD [25., 50. und 75. percentile in case of non-normal distribution] or number (%).apbpcpdp*Coronary artery disease events: myocardial infarction, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, aortocoronary bypass.**Cardiovascular disease events: myocardial infarction, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, aortocoronary bypass, angiographically-proven coronary stenosis ≥50%, ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebral infarction, transient ischemic attack, carotid stenosis and carotid endarterectomy.***Peripheral arterial disease events: significant ultrasound- or angiographically-proven vascular stenosis, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, peripheral bypass, amputation.‡Follow-up time was calculated as the time from the start of dialysis until the patient died or the end of the observation period was reached.