Table 1 Baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics of study subjects^a

Number

480

388

92

Males (%)

59.79

60.87

59.54

0.815

Age (years)

71.71 ± 15.52

70.62 ± 15.82

76.32 ± 13.28

0.0001

Principal diagnosis leading to ICU admission (%)

   Pulmonary disease

32.50

33.51

28.26

0.334

   Cardiovascular disease

36.67

37.89

31.52

0.255

   Neurologic disease

7.50

6.96

9.78

0.355

   Digestive disease

5.0

5.41

3.26

0.395

   Renal insufficiency

1.88

1.55

3.26

0.276

   Poisoning

3.75

4.38

1.09

0.135

   Infectious disease and/or sepsis

4.38

2.58

11.96

< 0.0001

   Trauma

2.08

2.58

0.00

0.120

   Other

6.25

5.15

10.87

0.042

Accompanying infection (%)

44.38

41.75

55.43

0.018

Hemoglobin (g/L)

117.35 ± 23.77

119.51 ± 22.81

108.25 ± 25.67

< 0.0001

eGFR (mL/minute/1.73 m²)

66.13 (4.18 to 314.43)

71.63 (4.18 to 314.43)

39.95(4.25 to 238.71)

< 0.0001

APACHE II score (points)

12.93 ± 6.67

11.38 ± 5.60

19.49 ± 6.85

< 0.0001

NT-proBNP (ng/ml)

2843.50 (20.95 to 35,000.00)

2201.00 (20.95 to 35,000.00)

8700.00 (142.40 to 35,000.0)

< 0.0001

CRP (mg/L)

33.50 (1.00 to 160.00)

23.00 (1.00 to 160.00)

96.50 (6.00 to 160.00)

< 0.0001

Albumin (g/L)

33.67 ± 4.98

34.41 ± 4.64

30.56 ± 5.18

< 0.0001

Thyroid function

   TT3 (nmol/L)

1.11 ± 0.33

1.16 ± 0.32

0.89 ± 0.30

< 0.0001

   TT4 (nmol/L)

71.16 ± 21.81

73.92 ± 20.88

59.52 ± 21.92

< 0.0001

   FT3 (pmol/L)

3.42 ± 0.63

3.53 ± 0.60

2.95 ± 0.57

< 0.0001

   FT4 (pmol/L)

15.54 ± 3.40

15.80 ± 3.29

14.48 ± 3.66

0.0008

   rT3 (nmol/L)

0.30 (0.01 to 4.44)

0.30 (0.01 to 1.51)

0.30 (0.02 to 4.44)

0.4010

   TSH (IU/mL)

0.80 (0.04 to 23.07)

0.87 (0.04 to 23.87)

0.60 (0.05 to 12.73)

0.0022

   T3/rT3

3.36 (0.61 to 138.00)

3.62 (0.33 to 138.00)

2.61 (0.06 to 26.00)

0.0009