Other variables

Sociodemographic variables collected during the enrollment interview included age, race/ethnicity, sex, education, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. Smoking and alcohol consumption were categorized as current, former, or never. BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were defined by physicians’ clinical diagnosis based on patients’ International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) codes and/or the use of blood pressure- and glucose-lowering agents. A history of CVD was defined as documented coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure based on ICD-9 codes in EMRs 1 year before the pre-ESRD program enrollment.