Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of the study population
| Variables | Total cohort (n = 625) | No β-blockers (n = 317) | β-blockers low dose (n = 158) | β-blockers high dose (n = 150) | P-value for trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 76 (10) | 77 (9) | 77 (11) | 75 (10) | 0.03 |
| >75 years (%) | 59 | 64 | 55 | 54 | 0.03 |
| Gender (% female) | 47 | 43 | 48 | 53 | 0.05 |
| History of myocardial infarction (%) | 44 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 0.7 |
| History of hypertension (%) | 45 | 38 | 49 | 57 | <0.001 |
| NYHA (% IV) | 36 | 38 | 36 | 32 | 0.2 |
| LVEF, mean (SD) | 42 (16) | 42 (16) | 38 (15) | 47 (15) | <0.001 |
| >40% (%) | 45 | 45 | 37 | 56 | 0.08 |
| Heart rate#x003E;100 beats min−1 (%) | 45.4 | 45.0 | 48.6 | 42.9 | 0.8 |
| Mean arterial pressure, mmHg (SD) | 102 (22) | 97 (20) | 104 (22) | 108 (25) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes (%) | 29 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 0.5 |
| Atrial fibrillation (%) | 39 | 42 | 36 | 36 | 0.1 |
| COPD (%) | 29 | 36 | 24 | 19 | <0.001 |
| Sodium serum <137 mmol l−1 (%) | 19 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 0.06 |
| Haemoglobin <8.5/7.5 mmol l−1 (%) | 44 | 46 | 43 | 42 | 0.3 |
| GFR <40 ml min−1 (%) | 48 | 49 | 51 | 43 | 0.2 |
| Medication at discharge (%) | |||||
| ACE inhibitors | 0.8 | ||||
| Low dose | 37 | 39 | 40 | 26.7 | |
| High dose | 33 | 29 | 36 | 35 | |
| ARB | 11 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 0.2 |
| Loop diuretic | 0.05 | ||||
| Low dose | 61 | 57 | 68 | 61 | |
| High dose | 27 | 30 | 25 | 22 | |
| Spironolactone | 0.03 | ||||
| Low dose | 28 | 27 | 31 | 27 | |
| High dose | 10 | 13 | 9 | 6 | |
| Digoxin | 23 | 29 | 16 | 17 | <0.001 |
| Antiarrhythmic | 24 | 34 | 13 | 16 | <0.001 |
| Nitrates | 50 | 42 | 55 | 61 | <0.001 |
| Calcium-channel blockers | 14 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 0.2 |
| Coumarin | 56 | 62 | 54 | 47 | 0.001 |
| Aspirin | 29 | 22 | 32 | 42 | <0.001 |
NYHA, New York Heart Association; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasse; GFR, glomerular filtration rate; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker. A low dose of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and β-blocker is defined as < 50% of the target dose attained in randomized clinical trials. A low dose of loop diuretics is defined as furosemide ≤80 mg, bumetanide ≤2 mg. A low dose of spironolactone is defined as ≤25 mg.