title: Serum anion gap is predictive of mortality in an elderly population.
abstract: An elevated serum anion gap is known to be associated with hypertension, low cardiorespiratory fitness, and decreased renal function. We evaluated whether serum AG might be predictive of elderly mortality in a community-based cohort in Korea. We analyzed the available data from 862 elderly people in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging. Over a 5-year observational period, 151/862 (17.5%) participants died, and a high albumin-adjusted anion gap (SAAG) was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in unadjusted analyses (hazard ratio [HR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-2.71) and fully adjusted analyses (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.24-2.52), compared with a low SAAG group. The population attributable fraction of death due to high SAAG was 38.2% (95% CI 20.7-58.2%). In particular, the participants with high SAAG had higher cardiovascular and infection-related mortality rates than those with low SAAG (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.06-4.19, and HR, 9.69; 95% CI, 1.12-83.4, respectively). High SAAG may be an independent predictor of mortality and is associated with higher cardiovascular and infection related mortality in the elderly.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Shin Young
authors: SY
authors: Ahn
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jiwon
authors: J
authors: Ryu
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Seon Ha
authors: SH
authors: Baek
authors: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ji Won
authors: JW
authors: Han
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jang Han
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Medical Research Collaborating Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Soyeon
authors: S
authors: Ahn
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Kwang-il
authors: KI
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ho Jun
authors: HJ
authors: Chin
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ki Young
authors: KY
authors: Na
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Dong-Wan
authors: DW
authors: Chae
authors: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ki Woong
authors: KW
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: imsejoong@hanmail.net.
authors: Sejoong
authors: S
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012709:Serum Albumin
keywords: Age; Albumin; Anion gap; Elderly; Mortality