Table 1.
Baseline characteristics by the receipt of digoxin before hospital discharge in patients with heart failure with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤45% who were not receiving digoxin before hospital admission
| Variables n (%) or mean (±SD) | Before propensity score matching | After propensity score matching | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No digoxin (n=6830) | Digoxin (n=1571) | P value | No digoxin (n=1531) | Digoxin (n=1531) | P value | |
| Age (years) | 76 (±11) | 76 (±11) | 0.918 | 76 (±11) | 75 (±11) | 0.372 |
| Female | 2974 (44%) | 696 (44%) | 0.584 | 676 (44%) | 675 (44%) | 0.971 |
| African American | 959 (14%) | 210 (13%) | 0.487 | 208 (14%) | 209 (14%) | 0.958 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 30 (±10) | 27 (±10) | <0.001 | 27 (±10) | 27 (±10) | 0.760 |
| Admission from nursing home | 101 (2%) | 22 (1%) | 0.816 | 18 (1%) | 22 (1%) | 0.524 |
| Past Medical History | ||||||
| Smoking history | 904 (13%) | 258 (16%) | 0.001 | 267 (17%) | 248 (16%) | 0.359 |
| HF hospitalization in prior 6 months | 1042 (15%) | 262 (17%) | 0.161 | 266 (17%) | 251 (16%) | 0.469 |
| Hypertension | 4763 (70%) | 1004 (64%) | <0.001 | 949 (62%) | 987 (65%) | 0.154 |
| Coronary revascularization | 2514 (37%) | 501 (32%) | <0.001 | 510 (33%) | 497 (33%) | 0.617 |
| Coronary artery disease | 3985 (58%) | 804 (51%) | <0.001 | 798 (52%) | 793 (52%) | 0.856 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 2856 (42%) | 565 (36%) | <0.001 | 534 (35%) | 555 (36%) | 0.428 |
| Stroke/transient ischemic attack | 1131 (17%) | 231 (15%) | 0.072 | 227 (15%) | 226 (15%) | 0.959 |
| Implantable defibrillator | 441 (7%) | 100 (6%) | 0.894 | 101 (7%) | 98 (6%) | 0.826 |
| Biventricular pacemaker | 243 (4%) | 58 (4%) | 0.797 | 59 (4%) | 56 (4%) | 0.776 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 1120 (16%) | 205 (13%) | 0.001 | 207 (14%) | 203 (13%) | 0.832 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 1771 (26%) | 583 (37%) | <0.001 | 554 (36%) | 552 (36%) | 0.940 |
| Ventricular arrhythmia | 490 (7%) | 105 (7%) | 0.494 | 99 (7%) | 103 (7%) | 0.771 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 1757 (26%) | 410 (26%) | 0.760 | 416 (27%) | 405 (27%) | 0.654 |
| Depression | 720 (11%) | 145 (9%) | 0.123 | 141 (9%) | 144 (9%) | 0.852 |
| Signs and Symptoms on Admission | ||||||
| Dyspnea on exertion | 4319 (63%) | 1040 (66%) | 0.028 | 1014 (66%) | 1009 (66%) | 0.849 |
| Dyspnea at rest | 3021 (44%) | 674 (43%) | 0.339 | 677 (44%) | 657 (43%) | 0.466 |
| Orthopnea | 1853 (27%) | 446 (28%) | 0.313 | 443 (29%) | 437 (29%) | 0.811 |
| Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea | 1062 (16%) | 264 (17%) | 0.218 | 251 (16%) | 257 (17%) | 0.771 |
| Jugular venous pressure elevation | 2038 (30%) | 515 (33%) | 0.022 | 502 (33%) | 497 (33%) | 0.847 |
| Peripheral edema | 4150 (61%) | 1003 (64%) | 0.024 | 958 (63%) | 973 (64%) | 0.574 |
| Third heart sound | 671 (10%) | 196 (13%) | 0.002 | 180 (12%) | 185 (12%) | 0.780 |
| Pulmonary rales | 4387 (64%) | 1018 (65%) | 0.672 | 960 (63%) | 988 (65%) | 0.293 |
| Discharge medications | ||||||
| ACE inhibitors or ARBs | 4539 (67%) | 1155 (74%) | <0.001 | 1095 (72%) | 1125 (74%) | 0.225 |
| Beta blockers | 4807 (70%) | 1156 (74%) | 0.012 | 1145 (75%) | 1120 (73%) | 0.303 |
| Aldosterone antagonists | 859 (13%) | 338 (22%) | <0.001 | 317 (21%) | 319 (21%) | 0.929 |
| Loop diuretics | 5433 (80%) | 1347 (86%) | <0.001 | 1311 (86%) | 1309 (86%) | 0.918 |
| Hydralazine | 336 (5%) | 49 (3%) | 0.002 | 58 (4%) | 49 (3%) | 0.376 |
| Nitrates | 1884 (28%) | 397 (25%) | 0.063 | 393 (26%) | 394 (26%) | 0.967 |
| Amlodipine | 465 (7%) | 66 (4%) | <0.001 | 69 (5%) | 66 (4%) | 0.792 |
| Other calcium channel blockers | 506 (7%) | 134 (9%) | 0.131 | 108 (7%) | 123 (8%) | 0.305 |
| Antiarrhythmics | 1043 (15%) | 250 (16%) | 0.525 | 251 (16%) | 241 (16%) | 0.623 |
| Aspirin | 3734 (55%) | 794 (51%) | 0.003 | 783 (51%) | 783 (51%) | 1.000 |
| Warfarin | 1506 (22%) | 524 (33%) | <0.001 | 525 (34%) | 495 (32%) | 0.250 |
| Anti-Platelets | 1186 (17%) | 222 (14%) | 0.002 | 214 (14%) | 220 (14%) | 0.756 |
| Statins | 2702 (40%) | 525 (33%) | <0.001 | 527 (34%) | 520 (34%) | 0.790 |
| Admission clinical findings | ||||||
| Heart rate (bpm) | 86 (±21) | 95 (±24) | <0.001 | 95 (±23) | 94 (±23) | 0.304 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 141 (±31) | 134 (±29) | <0.001 | 135 (±29) | 135 (±29) | 0.597 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 77 (±19) | 77 (±18) | 0.845 | 77 (±18) | 78 (±18) | 0.776 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.9 (±1.6) | 1.5 (±1.0) | <0.001 | 1.6 (±.98) | 1.5 (±1.0) | 0.297 |
| Serum hemoglobin (g/dL) | 12 (±3) | 13 (±2) | <0.001 | 12 (±3) | 12 (±2) | 0.936 |
| Serum sodium (mEq/L) | 137 (±12) | 136 (±12) | 0.126 | 136 (±12) | 137 (±11) | 0.601 |
| Hospital length of stay (days) | 6 (±7) | 7 (±11) | <0.001 | 7 (±6) | 7 (±5) | 0.285 |
| Hospital, academic | 3120 (46%) | 762 (49%) | 0.043 | 765 (50%) | 745 (49%) | 0.470 |
| Hospital, interventional | 5319 (78%) | 1251 (80%) | 0.129 | 1221 (80%) | 1218 (80%) | 0.893 |
| Hospital, bed size | 421 (±252) | 417 (±241) | 0.570 | 423 (±245) | 417 (±241) | 0.489 |
| Hospital, region | ||||||
| Midwest | 2163 (32%) | 512 (33%) | 0.349 | 492 (32%) | 500 (33%) | 0.946 |
| Northeast | 1056 (16%) | 265 (17%) | 251 (16%) | 256 (17%) | ||
| South | 2328 (34%) | 514 (33%) | 504 (33%) | 503 (33%) | ||
| West | 1283 (19%) | 280 (18%) | 284 (19%) | 272 (18%) | ||
HF = heart failure; ACE = angiotensin converting enzyme; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker; BP= blood pressure