Table 1b.
Baseline Characteristics of Hospitalized Older Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (≤40%), by Hospitalization due to Heart Failure in Prior Six Months
| Mean (±standard deviation) or n (%) | Before propensity score matching (n=9558) | After propensity score matching (n=3688) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart failure hospitalization in six months prior to the index hospitalization | Heart failure hospitalization in six months prior to the index hospitalization | |||||
| No (n=7696) | Yes (n=1862) | P value | No (n=1844) | Yes (n=1844) | P value | |
| Age (years) | 76 (±10) | 74 (±12) | <0.001 | 74 (±11) | 74 (±12) | 0.759 |
| Women | 3135 (41%) | 800 (43%) | 0.079 | 812 (44%) | 793 (43%) | 0.528 |
| African American | 993 (13%) | 400 (22%) | <0.001 | 405 (22%) | 389 (21%) | 0.522 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 27 (±8) | 25 (±9) | <0.001 | 25 (±8) | 25 (±8) | 0.705 |
| Smoker in past 1 year | 1011 (13%) | 265 (14%) | 0.212 | 263 (14%) | 261 (14%) | 0.925 |
| Admission from nursing home | 97 (1%) | 40 (2%) | 0.004 | 34 (2%) | 38 (2%) | 0.634 |
| Past medical history | ||||||
| Hypertension | 5186 (67%) | 1229 (66%) | 0.255 | 1223 (66%) | 1218 (66%) | 0.862 |
| Coronary artery disease | 4644 (60%) | 1179 (63%) | 0.018 | 1150 (62%) | 1169 (63%) | 0.517 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 3083 (40%) | 871 (47%) | <0.001 | 863 (47%) | 861 (47%) | 0.947 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 1248 (16%) | 281 (15%) | 0.235 | 277 (15%) | 278 (15%) | 0.963 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 1248 (16%) | 298 (16%) | 0.824 | 306 (17%) | 296 (16%) | 0.656 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 2603 (34%) | 664 (36%) | 0.134 | 656 (36%) | 657 (36%) | 0.973 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 2073 (27%) | 554 (30%) | 0.015 | 536 (29%) | 548 (30%) | 0.664 |
| Anemia | 1231 (16%) | 323 (17%) | 0.156 | 319 (17%) | 321 (17%) | 0.931 |
| Depression | 757 (10%) | 187 (10%) | 0.789 | 187 (10%) | 186 (10%) | 0.956 |
| Admission findings | ||||||
| Dyspnea on exertion | 4941 (64%) | 1123 (60%) | 0.002 | 1108 (60%) | 1120 (61%) | 0.686 |
| Dyspnea at rest | 3279 (43%) | 870 (47%) | 0.001 | 855 (46%) | 855 (46%) | 1.000 |
| Orthopnea | 2093 (27%) | 556 (30%) | 0.021 | 544 (30%) | 546 (30%) | 0.942 |
| Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea | 1245 (16%) | 312 (17%) | 0.544 | 302 (16%) | 308 (17%) | 0.790 |
| Chest pain | 1643 (21%) | 382 (21%) | 0.430 | 371 (20%) | 380 (21%) | 0.713 |
| Jugular venous pressure elevation | 2398 (31%) | 688 (37%) | <0.001 | 699 (38%) | 678 (37%) | 0.475 |
| Third heart sound | 872 (11%) | 259 (14%) | 0.002 | 279 (15%) | 253 (14%) | 0.223 |
| Pulmonary rales | 4850 (63%) | 1184 (64%) | 0.649 | 1183 (64%) | 1172 (64%) | 0.706 |
| Peripheral edema | 4674 (61%) | 1210 (65%) | 0.001 | 1190 (65%) | 1195 (65%) | 0.863 |
| Serum sodium (mEq/L) | 137 (±10) | 136 (±12) | 0.007 | 136 (±12) | 136 (±12) | 0.965 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 12.4 (±2.3) | 12.1 (±3.8) | <0.001 | 12.2 (±2.8) | 12.1 (±3.8) | 0.579 |
| Discharge findings | ||||||
| Heart rate (bpm) | 75 (±13) | 76 (±13) | 0.018 | 76 (±13) | 76 (±13) | 0.743 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 121 (±21) | 118 (±20) | <0.001 | 118 (±20) | 118 (±20) | 0.974 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 66 (±12) | 65 (±12) | 0.005 | 65 (±12) | 65 (±12) | 0.541 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.7 (±1.2) | 1.9 (±1.4) | <0.001 | 1.9 (±1.3) | 1.9 (±1.4) | 0.853 |
| Discharge medications | ||||||
| ACE inhibitors or ARBs | 5294 (69%) | 1240 (67%) | 0.068 | 1235 (67%) | 1227 (67%) | 0.780 |
| Beta blockers | 5505 (72%) | 1323 (71%) | 0.682 | 1310 (71%) | 1312 (71%) | 0.942 |
| Aldosterone antagonists | 1235 (16%) | 340 (18%) | 0.021 | 361 (20%) | 336 (18%) | 0.293 |
| Digoxin | 2886 (38%) | 800 (43%) | <0.001 | 756 (41%) | 788 (43%) | 0.285 |
| Loop diuretics | 6120 (80%) | 1502 (81%) | 0.270 | 1471 (80%) | 1486 (81%) | 0.536 |
| Nitrates | 2067 (27%) | 558 (30%) | 0.007 | 568 (31%) | 549 (30%) | 0.496 |
| Amlodipine | 417 (5%) | 90 (5%) | 0.312 | 93 (5%) | 90 (5%) | 0.820 |
| Other calcium channel blockers | 527 (7%) | 103 (6%) | 0.040 | 105 (6%) | 103 (6%) | 0.886 |
| Hospital length of stay (days)* | 5.9 (5.5) | 6.5 (9.7) | <0.001 | 6.1 (6.0) | 6.5 (9.7) | 0.234 |
| Hospital characteristics* | ||||||
| Number of beds | 426 (255) | 442 (251) | 0.015 | 442 (252) | 441 (250) | 0.918 |
| Academic center | 3634 (47%) | 1005 (54%) | <0.001 | 1015 (55%) | 993 (54%) | 0.467 |
| Interventional center | 6070 (79%) | 1527 (82%) | 0.003 | 1533 (83%) | 1509 (82%) | 0.298 |
| Heart transplant center | 1273 (17%) | 399 (21%) | <0.001 | 376 (20%) | 391 (21%) | 0.543 |
ACE = Angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB = Angiotensin receptor blocker