Arch Intern Med
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, and estimators of renal function: mortality in older patients with cardiovascular disease.
Renal dysfunction predicts increased mortality in cardiovascular patients, but the best renal estimator for quantifying risks is uncertain. We compared admission serum urea nitrogen (SUN) level, creatinine level, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) rate, and Mayo estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for predicting mortality. ⋯ In older cardiovascular patients, SUN- and creatinine-based measures were powerful predictors of postdischarge mortality. Only MDRD eGFR was less adequate in quantifying risks for patients with mild impairment. Novel estimators, such as the Mayo eGFR, may play an important role in outcomes' prognostication for these patients.