Fig 1.
Flowchart of the study population.
Of 4,066 patients, 312 were included in this study. The study patients were classified into two groups: those with Zn levels < 60 μg/dl (low-Zn group) and those with Zn levels ≥ 60 μg/dl (high-Zn group). Abbreviation: Zn, serum zinc.
Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients grouped by Zn levels.
Table 2.
Incidence of outcomes in patients grouped by Zn levels.
Fig 2.
Survival rates in the original study population.
Kaplan-Meier curves for the primary outcome over 1 year.
Fig 3.
Association of low Zn levels with the primary outcome.
The HRs of the low-Zn group to the high-Zn group are shown. Model 1 was adjusted for age, male sex, BMI, DM, cardiovascular disease, and ln(eGFR); Model 2, Model 1 + ln(CRP), serum albumin levels, and hemoglobin levels; Model 3, Model 2 + dipstick proteinuria; Model 4, Model 3 + ARBs or ACE inhibitors; Model 5, Model 4 + diuretics.
Fig 4.
Survival rates in the propensity score-matched population.
Kaplan-Meier curves for the primary outcome over 1 year.
Table 3.
Association of low Zn levels with the primary outcome in the propensity score-matched population.
Fig 5.
Survival rates in the subgroups classified by serum albumin levels.
Kaplan-Meier curves for the primary outcome over 1 year. (A) Patients with low serum albumin levels (<3.2 g/dl). (B) Patients with high serum albumin levels (≥3.2 g/dl). Survival rates were compared between the two groups by the log-rank test. The survival rate was lower in the low-Zn group than in the high-Zn group (A, log-rank test, p = 0.003; B, log-rank test, p = 0.020).
Table 4.
Association of Zn levels with the primary outcome in subgroups according to serum albumin levels.