Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population (n = 250).
| Variable | Total | PEP | No PEP | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age [years] | 66.2 (12.7) | 68.6 (13.2) | 65.4 (12.4) | 0.042 |
| Male gender | 184 (74%) | 52 (79%) | 132 (72%) | 0.26 |
| Clinical characteristics | ||||
| BMI [kg/m2] | 26.6 (5.7) | 27.1 (5.7) | 26.4 (5.9) | 0.95 |
| Systolic BP [mmHg] | 120 (24) | 113 (23) | 124 (24) | 0.007* |
| Diastolic BP [mmHg] | 72 (18) | 70 (17) | 74 (15) | 0.05 |
| Pulse [beats/min] | 67 (14) | 70 (15) | 66 (12) | 0.26 |
| eGFR [mL/min/1.73 m2] | 58 (34) | 53 (33.2) | 60 (33.9) | 0.24 |
| Features of HF | ||||
| LVEF [%] | 31 ± 9 | 28.5 ± 13 | 32 ± 13 | 0.07 |
| NYHA class I | 75 (30%) | 68 (91%) | 7 (9%) | < 0.001* |
| NYHA class II | 113 (45%) | 83 (73%) | 30 (27%) | < 0.001* |
| NYHA class III or IV | 62 (25%) | 29 (47%) | 33 (53%) | < 0.001* |
| Duration of HF | 4.8 (7.5) | 7.23 (9.55) | 3.77 (6.69) | < 0.001* |
| Ischemic etiology | 116 (46%) | 30 (45%) | 104 (56%) | 0.12 |
| Medical history | ||||
| MI | 95 (38%) | 32 (48%) | 63 (34%) | 0.06 |
| PCI | 81 (32%) | 26 (40%) | 55 (30%) | 0.15 |
| CABG | 42 (17%) | 12 (18%) | 30 (16%) | 0.72 |
| AF | 97 (39%) | 33 (50%) | 64 (35%) | 0.03 |
| Hypertension | 113 (45%) | 34 (51%) | 79 (43%) | 0.23 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 77 (31%) | 29 (44%) | 48 (26%) | 0.007* |
| Known hypercholesterolemia | 94 (38%) | 29 (44%) | 65 (36%) | 0.27 |
| Baseline biomarker concentrations | ||||
| NT-proBNP [pmol/L] | 133 (228) | 297 (343) | 94 (174) | < 0.001* |
| hs-TnT [ng/L] | 17.7 (23.3) | 30.0 (28.1) | 13.8 (18.7) | < 0.001* |
| CRP [mg/L] | 2.20 (4.00) | 2.95 (3.87) | 1.80 (3.47) | 0.02 |
| Albumin [g/L] | 46 (4) | 46 (5) | 64 (4) | 0.68 |
| Bilirubin [μmol/L] | 6 (4) | 7 (5) | 6 (4) | 0.03 |
| ALP [U/L] | 82 (37) | 98 (60) | 79.5 (30) | < 0.001* |
| GGTP [U/L] | 42 (67) | 59 (79) | 38.5 (55.2) | < 0.001* |
| Medication use | ||||
| Beta-blocker | 225 (90%) | 57 (86%) | 168 (91%) | 0.25 |
| ACEI or ARB | 235 (94%) | 59 (89%) | 176 (96%) | 0.06 |
| Aldosterone antagonist | 174 (70%) | 50 (76%) | 124 (67%) | 0.20 |
| Diuretic | 227 (91%) | 64 (97%) | 163 (87%) | 0.04 |
| Loop diuretics | 226 (90%) | 64 (97%) | 162 (88%) | 0.03 |
| Thiazides | 6 (2%) | 3 (0.2%) | 3 (0.4%) | 0.18 |
Categorical variables are expressed as count (percentage). Values of continuous variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation or as median (interquartile range) in case of skewed distribution.
Significant with new p threshold = 0.007 after Benjamini-Hochberg procedure with false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.05;
ACEI — angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ALP — alkaline phosphatase; ARB — angiotensin II receptor blocker; BMI — body mass index; BP — blood pressure; CABG — coronary artery bypass grafting; CRP — C-reactive protein; eGFR — estimated glomerular filtration rate; GGTP — gamma glutamyl transpeptidase; hs-TnT — high-sensitivity troponin T; KDOQI — Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative; LVEF — left ventricular ejection fraction; MI — myocardial infarction; NT-proBNP — N-terminal prohor-mone of B-type natriuretic peptide; NYHA — New York Heart Association; PEP — primary endpoint; PCI — percutaneous coronary intervention