Baseline characteristics^a.

aValues represent mean ± SD, median (interquartile range) or proportion (%). bHistory of cardiovascular disease was defined as history of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction and/or a previous coronary bypass graft and/or percutaneous coronary intervention and/or stroke or transient ischemic attack and/or peripheral vascular disease. cWeight after dialysis (dry weight) defined as the mean of three consecutive values. dDefined as >100 mL per day. eeGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) calculated as mean of creatinine and urea clearance in 24 h urine collection adjusted for body surface area [48]. Conversion factors for units: hemoglobin in g/dL to mmol/L, ×0.62; albumin in g/dL to g/L, ×10; parathyroid hormone pg/ml to pmol/l ×0.11; no conversion necessary for ferritin in ng/mL and µg/L.