However, in contrast to individuals with normal kidney function we could find a significant but only weak correlation between EPCs and age, but not with other traditional CV risks factors such as high blood pressure or total serum cholesterol, and with CV risk factors present only in HD patients such as reduced nutritional status, e.g. low body mass index and/or serum albumin, and presence of (micro)inflammation, e.g. increased hsCRP. Here, ALB is linked to hypertensive disorder.