Risk factors associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in Spanish incident hemodialysis patients: two-year results from the ANSWER study.

Aims: To identify factors associated with cardiovascular (CV) disease in hemodialysis.

Methods: Multicenter, prospective, 2-year, observational study in 2,310 incident patients (3,496 patient-years). Multivariate Cox models determined baseline characteristics associated with CV disease.

Mortality in incident haemodialysis patients: time-dependent haemoglobin levels and erythropoiesis-stimulating agent dose are independent predictive factors in the ANSWER study.

Background: Although the association between low haemoglobin levels and mortality is well established in haemodialysis patients, data are conflicting regarding levels >12 g/dl. In addition, divergent results have been reported on the relation between erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and mortality.

Methods: This was a multicentre, observational, prospective, 24-month study, which recruited Spanish incident haemodialysis patients (N = 2310).

Baseline characteristics of an incident haemodialysis population in Spain: results from ANSWER--a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study.

Background: The ANSWER study aims to identify risk factors leading to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a Spanish incident haemodialysis population. This paper summarizes the baseline characteristics of this population.

Methods: A prospective, observational, one-cohort study, including all consecutive incident haemodialysis patients from 147 Spanish nephrology services, was conducted.