Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the 74 patients with heart failure over the entire study (basal, stage I = at 12 months, stage II = at 24 months).
| Variable | Basal | Stage I | Stage II |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 65 (11) | 66 (11) | 67 (11) |
| SBP (mm Hg) | 128 (20) | 130 (22) | 125 (19)* |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 76 (14) | 73 (11) | 75 (12) |
| Total cholesterol (mg/l) | 1940 (4460) | 1860 (310) | 1830 (370) |
| Sodium (mEq/l) | 139 (3) | 140 (3) | 140 (3) |
| Potassium (mEq/l) | 4.6 (0.5) | 4.7 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.5) |
| GFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 71 (22) | 74 (21) | 71 (21) |
| Packed cell volume (%) | 42 (5) | 42 (5) | 42 (5) |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 28 (5) | 28 (6) | 28 (4) |
| Hypertension (%) | 50 | 54 | 57 |
| Diabetes mellitus (%) | 41 | 46 | 49 |
| Smoking (%) | 13 | 7 | 8 |
| NYHA class | 2 (0.5) | 2.1 (0.5) | 2.1 (0.6) |
| Treatment (%): | |||
| ACE inhibitors | 79 | 75 | 74 |
| Diuretics | 76 | 79 | 77 |
| β Blockers | 60 | 65 | 70 |
| Aldosterone antagonists | 46 | 49 | 43 |
| Digoxin | 25 | 20 | 26 |
| Calcium channel blockers | 14 | 13 | 16 |
| ARA II | 10 | 11 | 15 |
| Modified Naughton protocol (s) | 632 (36) | 611 (34) | 585 (31) |
| EF (%) | 38 (10) | 36 (11)* | 36 (9)* |
| E/A | 1.0 (0.6) | 1.0 (0.6) | 1.2 (0.8) |
| DT (ms) | 214 (71) | 199 (54) | 201 (69) |
| Plasma NT‐proBNP (pg/ml) | 1237 (1737) | 1241 (1748) | 1043 (1153) |
| Urine NT‐proBNP (pg/ml) | 83 (23) | 92 (28)† | 89 (17)† |
| Plasma/urine NT‐proBNP ratio | 13 (15) | 11 (11) | 10 (9)* |
Results are shown as mean (SD) unless otherwise indicated.
ACE, angiotensin‐converting enzyme; ARA II, angiotensin receptor antagonist; BMI, body mass index; DT, deceleration time; E/A, flow velocity in early diastole and during atrial contraction ratio; EF, ejection fraction; GFR, glomerular filtration rate; NT‐proBNP, N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide levels; NYHA, New York Heart Association; SBP, systolic blood pressure.
Significant difference versus basal levels: *p<0.05; †p<0.01.