Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Hospitalized Older Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction by Discontinuation of Digoxin
| Before propensity score-matching (n=3,499) |
After propensity scorematching (n=1,396) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digoxin discontinuation |
Digoxin discontinuation |
|||||
| No (n=2,778) | Yes (n=721) | P value | No (n=698) | Yes (n=698) | P value | |
| Age (years) | 75 (±11) | 76 (±11) | 0.047 | 76 (±11) | 76 (±11) | 0.827 |
| Women | 1,086 (39%) | 290 (40%) | 0.580 | 287 (41%) | 279 (40%) | 0.663 |
| African American | 389 (14%) | 105 (15%) | 0.700 | 84 (12%) | 103 (15%) | 0.135 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 26 (±9) | 28 (±10) | <0.001 | 28 (±9) | 28 (±10) | 0.973 |
| Smoker in past 1 year | 359 (13%) | 81 (11%) | 0.223 | 83 (12%) | 80 (11%) | 0.803 |
| Past medical history | ||||||
| Prior heart failure | 2,621 (94%) | 683 (95%) | 0.691 | 658 (94%) | 662 (95%) | 0.637 |
| Prior HF hospitalization in 6 months | 602 (22%) | 161 (22%) | 0.702 | 154 (22%) | 153 (22%) | 0.948 |
| Hypertension | 1,805 (65%) | 465 (64%) | 0.809 | 459 (66%) | 449 (64%) | 0.575 |
| Myocardial infarction | 872 (31%) | 220 (31%) | 0.651 | 228 (33%) | 215 (31%) | 0.455 |
| Coronary revascularization | 1,097 (39%) | 281 (39%) | 0.801 | 278 (40%) | 268 (38%) | 0.583 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 1,135 (41%) | 304 (42%) | 0.525 | 302 (43%) | 292 (42%) | 0.588 |
| Stroke/transient ischemic attack | 430 (15%) | 101 (14%) | 0.327 | 103 (15%) | 100 (14%) | 0.820 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 438 (16%) | 107 (15%) | 0.541 | 106 (15%) | 104 (15%) | 0.881 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 1,271 (46%) | 324 (45%) | 0.696 | 313 (45%) | 314 (45%) | 0.957 |
| Ventricular arrhythmia | 299 (11%) | 69 (10%) | 0.352 | 60 (9%) | 67 (10%) | 0.515 |
| Implantable cardioverter defibrillator | 341 (12%) | 86 (12%) | 0.800 | 88 (13%) | 82 (12%) | 0.623 |
| Bi-ventricular pacemaker | 230 (8%) | 50 (7%) | 0.236 | 54 (8%) | 49 (7%) | 0.609 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 813 (29%) | 179 (25%) | 0.018 | 165 (24%) | 176 (25%) | 0.493 |
| Anemia | 407 (15%) | 94 (13%) | 0.270 | 93 (13%) | 92 (13%) | 0.937 |
| Depression | 251 (9%) | 70 (10%) | 0.577 | 64 (9%) | 65 (9%) | 0.926 |
| Admission findings | ||||||
| Dyspnea at rest | 1,183 (43%) | 291 (40%) | 0.281 | 300 (43%) | 284 (41%) | 0.385 |
| Dyspnea on exertion | 1,751 (63%) | 433 (60%) | 0.142 | 417 (60%) | 421 (60%) | 0.827 |
| Orthopnea | 838 (30%) | 165 (23%) | <0.001 | 156 (22%) | 165 (24%) | 0.567 |
| Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea | 503 (18%) | 95 (13%) | 0.002 | 87 (12%) | 94 (13%) | 0.577 |
| Jugular venous pressure elevation | 948 (34%) | 250 (35%) | 0.782 | 226 (32%) | 242 (35%) | 0.364 |
| Third heart sound | 378 (14%) | 92 (13%) | 0.552 | 83 (12%) | 88 (13%) | 0.683 |
| Pulmonary rales | 1,709 (62%) | 423 (59%) | 0.162 | 415 (59%) | 411 (59%) | 0.828 |
| Peripheral edema | 1,687 (61%) | 467 (65%) | 0.047 | 459 (66%) | 452 (65%) | 0.694 |
| Pulse (beats per minute) | 85 (±20) | 83 (±20) | 0.014 | 82 (±19) | 83 (±20) | 0.538 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 133 (±28) | 134 (±30) | 0.537 | 133 (±29) | 134 (±30) | 0.706 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 74 (±17) | 72 (±18) | 0.006 | 71 (±17) | 72 (±18) | 0.553 |
| Laboratory findings | ||||||
| Admission serum sodium (mEq/L) | 137 (±10) | 136 (±13) | 0.349 | 136 (±10) | 136 (±13) | 0.941 |
| Admission hemoglobin (g/dL) | 13 (±3) | 12 (±2) | 0.040 | 12 (±2) | 12 (±2) | 0.795 |
| Admission serum BNP (pg/mL)* | 1,208 (734) | 1,222 (749) | 0.435 | 1,186 (883) | 1,223 (759) | 0.363 |
| Discharge serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.6 (±0.9) | 1.7 (±1.0) | 0.008 | 1.7 (±1.2) | 1.7 (±1.0) | 0.729 |
| Discharge medications | ||||||
| ACE inhibitors or ARBs | 2,001 (72%) | 436 (60%) | <0.001 | 449 (64%) | 429 (61%) | 0.268 |
| Beta-blockers | 2,027 (73%) | 450 (62%) | <0.001 | 457 (65%) | 444 (64%) | 0.467 |
| Aldosterone antagonists | 559 (20%) | 106 (15%) | 0.001 | 105 (15%) | 106 (15%) | 0.940 |
| Loop diuretics | 2,354 (85%) | 513 (71%) | <0.001 | 507 (73%) | 510 (73%) | 0.857 |
| Nitrates | 795 (29%) | 170 (24%) | 0.007 | 157 (22%) | 170 (24%) | 0.411 |
| Amlodipine | 118 (4%) | 43 (6%) | 0.050 | 42 (6%) | 40 (6%) | 0.820 |
| Other calcium channel blockers | 189 (7%) | 39 (5%) | 0.176 | 43 (6%) | 39 (6%) | 0.649 |
| Anti-arrhythmics | 483 (17%) | 127 (18%) | 0.886 | 135 (19%) | 123 (18%) | 0.408 |
| Hospital length of stay (days)* | 4 (4) | 5 (5) | <0.001 | 5 (5) | 5 (5) | 0.332 |
| Hospital characteristics | ||||||
| Region | ||||||
| Midwest | 958 (34%) | <0.001 | 244 (35%) | 0.49 | ||
| Northeast | 439 (16%) | 79 (11%) | ||||
| South | 928 (33%) | 236 (34%) | ||||
| West | 453 (16%) | 139 (20%) | ||||
| Size (number of beds)* | 375 (233) | 375 (230) | 0.136 | 375 (220) | 375 (230) | 0.198 |
| Academic center | 1,410 (51%) | 353 (49%) | 0.390 | 365 (52%) | 345 (49%) | 0.284 |
Values are n (%), mean ± standard deviation, or median (interquartile range) when indicated by an asterisk; p values comparing medians are based on nonparametric independent sample median test.
ACE = angiotensin-converting Enzyme; ARB = angiotensin receptor blocker; BNP = B-type natriuretic peptide; HF = heart failure