The optimal cut-off values of Klotho for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among chronic kidney disease: results from NHANES

To explore the optimal cut-off values of Klotho for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Klotho was measured in 40–79-year-old individuals in the NHANES 2007–2016. A total of 2418 patients with stage 1–4 CKD were included. The optimal cut-off values of Klotho were utilized using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and be verified on the effects of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Restricted cubic splines were used to examine the relationship between Klotho and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality with the optimal cutpoints as the reference. After a mean follow-up period of 87.9 months, 535 deaths occurred and 188 died of cardiovascular disease. Cubic splines showed that the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality increased gradually for Klotho < 700 pg/ml. ROC curves revealed that the optimal cut-off values of Klotho for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality are 548.8 pg/ml and 660.9 pg/ml, respectively. Compared to patients with higher levels of Klotho, HRs (95% CIs) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 1.52 (1.23, 1.87) and 1.58 (1.13, 2.22) among patients with lower levels of Klotho, respectively, in the multivariate model ( P < .0001 and P = 0.008). Our findings revealed the optimal cut-off values of Klotho for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in CKD.