Variables found to be significantly associated with mortality at 1 year and 3 years and included in the multivariate analysis were: age at incidence, place of birth, residence, BMI, self-sufficiency, cause of ESRD, severe hypertension, heart disease, cancer, peripheral vascular diseases, liver disease, dementia and psychiatric disease, type of vascular access, HB, serum creatinine, serum albumin. The gene discussed is ALB; the disease is dementia.