Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population according to LDL-C level in statin naïve patients

Age at the start of dialysis

78.1 ± 5.7

78.3 ± 5.8

77.9 ± 5.6

78.1 ± 5.9

78.1 ± 5.6

0.858

Survival duration (days)

1153.04 ± 947.27

962.27 ± 875.07

1220.31 ± 980.36

1126.66 ± 954.17

1306.65 ± 947.83

 < 0.001

Sex

 < 0.001

 Female

428 (42.2%)

83 (32.4%)

99 (38.7%)

117 (46.6%)

129 (51.4%)

 Male

586 (57.8%)

173 (67.6%)

157 (61.3%)

134 (53.4%)

122 (48.6%)

Primary etiology

0.093

 Diabetic kidney disease

450 (44.4%)

122 (47.7%)

102 (39.8%)

112 (44.6%)

114 (45.4%)

 Glomerulonephritis

67 (6.6%)

12 (4.7%)

17 (6.6%)

17 (6.8%)

21 (8.4%)

 Reno-vascular disease

266 (26.2%)

56 (21.9%)

68 (26.6%)

69 (27.5%)

73 (29.1%)

 Other

224 (22.1%)

66 (25.8%)

66 (25.8%)

52 (20.7%)

40 (15.9%)

 NA

7 (0.7%)

0 (0.0%)

3 (1.2%)

1 (0.4%)

3 (1.2%)

Malignancy

0.455

 No

846 (83.4%)

203 (79.3%)

218 (85.2%)

207 (82.5%)

218(86.9%)

 Complete response

137 (13.5%)

41 (16.0%)

33 (12.9%)

38 (15.1%)

25 (10.0%)

 Keep on treatment

20 (2.0%)

8 (3.1%)

3 (1.2%)

4 (1.6%)

5 (2.0%)

 Palliative setting

11 (1.1%)

4 (1.6%)

2 (0.8%)

2 (0.8%)

3 (1.2%)

Malignancy (metastasis)

0.096

 No

825 (81.4%)

192 (75.0%)

210 (82.0%)

211 (84.1%)

212 (84.5%)

 Yes

25 (2.5%)

9 (3.5%)

5 (2.0%)

7 (2.8%)

4 (1.6%)

 NA

164 (16.2%)

55 (21.5%)

41 (16.0%)

33(13.1%)

35 (13.9%)

Cardiovascular disease

0.381

 No

824 (31.3%)

200 (78.1%)

210 (82.0%)

203 (80.9%)

211 (84.1%)

 Yes

190 (68.7%)

56 (21.9%)

46 (18.0%)

48 (19.1%)

40 (15.9%)

Congestive heart failure

0.639

 No

863 (85.1%)

224 (87.5%)

216 (84.4%)

210 (83.7%)

213 (84.9%)

 Yes

151 (14.9%)

32 (12.5%)

40 (15.6%)

41 (16.3%)

38 (15.1%)

Atrial fibrillation

0.605

 No

924 (91.1%)

232 (90.6%

231 (90.2%)

234 (93.2%)

227 (90.4%)

 Yes

90 (8.9%)

24 (9.4%)

25 (9.8%)

17 (6.8%)

24 (9.6%)

Diabetes

0.457

 No

471 (46.4%)

109 (42.6%)

127 (49.6%)

118 (47.0%)

117 (46.6%)

 Yes

543 (53.6%)

147 (57.4%)

129 (50.4%)

133 (53.0%)

134 (53.4%)

Hypertension

0.656

 No

123 (12.2%)

32 (12.5%)

35 (13.7%)

29 (11.6%)

27 (10.8%)

 Yes

890 (87.8%)

224 (87.5%)

221 (86.3%)

221 (88.4%)

224 (89.2%)

 NA

1 (0.1%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1(0.1%)

0 (0.0%)

Liver cirrhosis

0.167

 No

979 (96.5%)

242 (94.5%)

247 (96.5%)

246 (98.0%)

244 (97.2%)

 Yes

35 (3.5%)

14 (5.5%)

9 (3.5%)

5 (2.0%)

7 (2.8%)

ACE inhibitor

0.211

 No

985 (97.1%)

250 (97.7%)

244 (95.3%)

244 (97.2%)

247 (98.4%)

 Yes

29 (2.9%)

5 (2.0%)

12 (4.7%)

7 (2.8%)

4 (91.6%)

 NA

1 (0.1%)

1 (0.4%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

ARB

0.044

 No

538 (53.1%)

140 (54.7%)

145 (56.6%)

141 (56.2%)

112 (44.6%)

 Yes

475 (46.9%)

116 (45.3%)

111 (43.4%)

109 (43.8%)

139 (55.4%)

 NA

1 (0.1%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (0.1%)

0 (0.0%)

Antiplatelet agents

0.144

 No

575 (56.7%)

162 (63.3%)

138 (53.9%)

140 (55.8%)

135 (53.8%)

 Yes

438 (43.2%)

93 (36.3%)

118 (46.1%)

111 (44.2%)

116 (46.2%)

 NA

1 (0.1%)

1 (0.4)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

Start HD access

0.534

 Catheter

857 (84.55)

219 (85.5%)

211 (82.4%)

206 (82.1%)

221 (88.0%)

 AVF

121 (11.9%)

30 (11.7%)

34 (13.3%)

33 (13.1%)

24 (9.6%)

 AVG

35 (3.5%)

7 (2.7%)

11 (4.3%)

11 (4.4%)

6 (2.4%)

 PD

1 (0.1%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (0.4%)

0 (0.0%)

Maintenance HD access

 < 0.001

 Catheter

216 (21.3%)

76 (29.7%)

53 (20.7%)

54 (21.5%)

33 (13.1%)

 AVF

627 (61.8%)

142 (55.5%)

154 (60.2%)

160 (63.7%)

171 (68.1%)

 AVG

151 (15.9%)

36 (14.1%)

54 917.6%)

37 (14.7%)

43 (17.1%)

 PD

2 (0.2%)

0 (0.0%)

2 (0.8%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

 NA

8 (0.8%)

2 (0.8%)

2 (0.8%)

0 (0.0%)

4 (1.6%)

 BMI

23.07 ± 4.11

22.81 ± 4.86

22.79 ± 3.67

23.33 ± 4.02

23.34 ± 3.76

0.257

History of hospitalization (within 6 months)

0.400

 No

557 (54.9%)

131 (51.2%)

131 (51.2%)

141 (56.2%)

154 (61.4%)

  < 1 month

383 (37.8%)

105 (41.0%)

103 (40.2%)

93 (37.1%)

82 (32.7%)

  > 1 month

72 (7.1%)

20 (7.8%)

21 (8.2%)

16 (6.4%)

15 (6.0%)

 NA

2 (0.2%)

0 (0.0%)

1 (0.4%)

1 (0.4%)

0 (0.0%)

Albumin (g/dL)

3.35 ± 0.58

3.241 ± 0.58

3.372 ± 0.56

3.453 ± 0.55

3.346 ± 0.59

 < 0.001

WBC (/mm³)

8863.14 ± 5956.34

9337.53 ± 5635.75

8675.88 ± 5000.90

8634.94 ± 6755.65

8797.76 ± 6312.46

0.518

Hb (g/dL)

9.05 ± 1.72

9.15 ± 1.74

8.81 ± 1.68

9.04 ± 1.52

9.19 ± 1.90

0.059

Calcium

8.15 ± 0.95

8.19 ± 1.01

8.18 ± 0.93

8.20 ± 0.83

8.04 ± 0.99

0.196

Phosphate

4.98 ± 2.15

4.68 ± 1.67

5.03 ± 1.67

5.19 ± 3.26

5.01 ± 1.48

0.057

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

149.29 ± 48.74

107.85 ± 26.90

131.32 ± 22.81

156.89 ± 24.85

204.23 ± 51.58

 < 0.001

Triglycerides (mg/dL)

122.60 ± 78.02

112.62 ± 88.25

103.63 ± 48.47

123.49 ± 64.27

151.36 ± 94.64

 < 0.001

HDL-C

38.38 ± 15.09

33.98 ± 16.98

38.64 ± 15.58

39.09 ± 13.18

42.02 ± 13.18

 < 0.001

LDL-C

90.33 ± 39.87

47.48 ± 13.39

74.17 ± 6.48

97.80 ± 7.69

143.03 ± 34.13

 < 0.001

TG/HDL-C

4.14 ± 7.55

5.86 ± 13.98

3.22 ± 2.59

3.61 ± 2.76

3.86 ± 3.55

 < 0.001

Non-HDLC/HDL-C

3.19 ± 2.35

2.92 ± 3.39

2.78 ± 1.56

3.28 ± 1.50

3.81 ± 2.29

 < 0.001