All-cause mortality rate per 1000 person-years (95% CI) and mortality rate ratios by 25[OH]D groups among participants with e GFR≥60 ml/min/1.73 m².

*<p>All-cause mortality rate per 1000 person-years.</p><p>Model adjusts for age, sex, race/ethnicity, season of 25[OH]D measurement, co-morbidities (cancer, MI, CHF, stroke, diabetes), BMI, SBP, eGFR, smoking, medication use and educational level.</p

Baseline characteristics of adults with eGFR ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m² by 25(OH)D groups.

<p>Baseline characteristics of adults with eGFR ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m² by 25(OH)D groups.</p

Total number of deaths by eGFR status 25[OH]D groups.

<p>Total number of deaths by eGFR status 25[OH]D groups.</p

Flowchart of individuals included in the analysis of the association between 25[OH]D and all-cause mortality.

<p>Flowchart of individuals included in the analysis of the association between 25[OH]D and all-cause mortality.</p

Age-, sex-, season- and race/ethnicity-adjusted mortality rates per 1,000 person-years by 25(OH)D groups among adults with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m².

<p><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0047458#pone-0047458-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2</a> includes all participants (with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m²) and under 3 exclusion strategies: 1) Exclusion of participants who died within one year of baseline examination; 2) Exclusion of participants who died within two years of baseline examination; 3) Exclusion of participants who died within three years of baseline examination. Rates were computed using Poisson regression analysis after grouping 25[OH] D values into 7 groups.</p

Protocol to improve hypertension management in a VA outpatient clinic

This 20-week quality improvement study describes implementation of a hypertension identification and management program with use of a standardized oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement protocol, provider education, and audit/feedback of hypertension control in a Veterans Affairs primary care clinic. A total of 692 male Veterans ages 18-85 years with treated hypertension and at least one clinic visit in the previous year were included for analysis. Mean age was 69.7 years (standard deviation 7.6) and race and ethnicity were 42.0% White, 29.1% Black and 3.0% Hispanic. Prior to program implementation, clinic BP was measured using the auscultatory method with a manual syphgmomanometer. Baseline BP measurements demonstrated bias as determined by terminal digit preference for digits 0 and 8 in 29.5% and 25.2% of systolic (SBP) and 31.6% and 21.8% of diastolic BP measurements, respectively (p < 0.001). Post-implementation of the standardized oscillometric BP measurement protocol, digit preference was eliminated. Protocol compliance was 89.1% at 5 weeks and 92.4% at 20 weeks. Overall average SBP was significantly higher in the post-implementation period compared to average SBP in the 12-month pre-implementation period (137.4 [Standard Deviation (SD) 17.4] vs. 126.3 [SD 15.3]; P < 0.001). Uncontrolled hypertension, (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg), increased from 17.8% at baseline to 41.8% post-implementation while provider therapeutic inertia declined from 84.5% at baseline to 55.8% after 20 weeks. This study shows that terminal digit preference is reduced with implementation of standardized oscillatory BP measurement and a quality improvement program can reduce therapeutic inertia of hypertension treatment

Baseline characteristics of study participants with eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m² by 25[OH]D groups.

*<p>Data are shown as mean (standard error) or percentages (standard error).</p

Age-, sex-, season- and race/ethnicity-adjusted mortality rates per 1,000 person-years by 25(OH)D groups among adults without eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m².

<p><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0047458#pone-0047458-g003" target="_blank">Figure 3</a> includes all participants (without eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m²) and under 3 exclusion strategies: 1) Exclusion of participants who died within one year of baseline examination; 2) Exclusion of participants who died within two years of baseline examination; 3) Exclusion of participants who died within three years of baseline examination. Rates were computed using Poisson regression analysis after grouping 25[OH] D values into 7 groups.</p

Distribution of attributes, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004, overall and by albuminuria status.

<p>P values use t-test for differences in means, and Wald chi-square test for proportions.</p>*<p>Note that values in the table are weighted to take into account the complex survey design; however, the counts of number of subjects with (n = 1326) and without albuminuria (n = 8032) are not weighted for the survey design.</p>†<p>Triglyceride levels available only for the subset (n = 4457) with fasting morning blood draw.</p

Adjusted Odds Ratios (aORs) comparing albuminuria among consumers of 2+ vs. 0–1 sugary soft drinks per day, stratified by body mass index (BMI) category.

<p>Trend line shows a quadratic model fit to the aORs; vertical lines represent 95% Confidence Intervals. The aORs are adjusted for age, race, ethnicity, and poverty status, but not BMI. BMI is used only as a stratification variable. Figure excludes subjects with BMI<17.5 kg/m² (n = 61).</p