Table 1. In-hospital characteristics of patients, stratified by the primary outcome.
| Characteristic (means ± SD or %, unless stated as median [IQR]) | Unfavorable QoL (Death or KCCQ <45 at both 1 and 24 weeks post discharge) | Favorable QoL (Survival to 24 weeks with KCCQ ≥45 at either 1 or 24 weeks post discharge) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| N=670 | N=788 | ||
| KCCQ OS score at admission (0-100) | 24.0 ± 15.4 | 35.8 ± 19.5 | < 0.001 |
| Demographics | |||
| Age (years) | 68.1 ± 11.6 | 65.1 ± 11.6 | < 0.001 |
| Female | 25.7% | 24.9% | 0.726 |
| Race | 0.226 | ||
| Caucasian | 86.3% | 83.4% | |
| Black | 7.5% | 8.1% | |
| Other | 6.3% | 8.5% | |
| BMI at admission | 28.1 ± 5.7 | 28.5 ± 5.7 | 0.178 |
| Smoking, current | 9.7% | 12.9% | 0.054 |
| Hypertension, history of | 71.5% | 72.2% | 0.762 |
| Diabetes, history of | 43.1% | 36.9% | 0.016 |
| Chronic kidney disease, history of | 39.2% | 23.2% | < 0.001 |
| Stroke, history of | 14.8% | 10.1% | 0.006 |
| Peripheral vascular disease, history of | 24.6% | 22.2% | 0.285 |
| COPD, severe | 12.5% | 7.2% | < 0.001 |
| HF characteristics | |||
| Duration of HF (years) | 6.2 ± 5.2 | 5.6 ± 4.7 | 0.009 |
| Prior hospitalization for HF | 85.6% | 78.1% | < 0.001 |
| LVEF (percent) | 26.4 ± 8.1 | 27.9 ± 7.9 | < 0.001 |
| Coronary artery disease, history of | 74.7% | 70.4% | 0.067 |
| Arrhythmia, history of | 72.9% | 59.3% | < 0.001 |
| Atrial | 58.9% | 46.6% | < 0.001 |
| Ventricular | 32.2% | 26.6% | 0.019 |
| Therapies | |||
| ICD | 18.2% | 11.2% | < 0.001 |
| B-blocker at discharge | 67.8% | 79.9% | < 0.001 |
| ACEI/ARB at discharge | 78.7% | 88.5% | < 0.001 |
| Diuretic at discharge | 93.6% | 93.0% | 0.669 |
| Symptoms at discharge | |||
| NYHA functional class at discharge | < 0.001 | ||
| I | 1.9% | 5.6% | |
| II | 32.8% | 51.6% | |
| III | 54.1% | 41.5% | |
| IV | 11.2% | 1.4% | |
| Dyspnea at discharge, frequent or constant | 24.3% | 12.3% | < 0.001 |
| Fatigue at discharge, frequent or continuous | 39.7% | 18.0% | < 0.001 |
| Physical signs at discharge | |||
| Systolic BP at discharge (mmHg) | 116.1 ± 18.8 | 122.5 ± 19.0 | < 0.001 |
| Heart rate at discharge (bpm) | 75.6 ± 12.0 | 73.2 ± 11.7 | < 0.001 |
| Pedal edema, described as moderate or marked, at discharge | 9.5% | 3.9% | < 0.001 |
| Rales at discharge, any | 26.2% | 12.9% | < 0.001 |
| JVP ≥ 10 cm at discharge | 32.8% | 27.5% | 0.026 |
| Laboratory measures nearest to discharge | |||
| Sodium (mMol, median [IQR]) | 139.0 (136.0, 143.0) | 140.0 (138.0, 143.0) | < 0.001 |
| <135 | 18.3% | 8.6% | < 0.001 |
| 135-145 | 70.4% | 80.8% | |
| >145 | 11.4% | 10.7% | |
| BUN ≥43 (mMol)) | 31.9% | 15.1% | < 0.001 |
| GFR (ml/min, median [IQR]) | 49.8 (36.3, 65.9) | 58.2 (44.5, 72.6) | < 0.001 |
| ≥59 | 33.2% | 47.8% | < 0.001 |
| 30-59 | 53.1% | 45.8% | |
| 15-29 | 13.3% | 6.2% | |
| <15 | 0.3% | 0.1% | |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 13.3 (11.8, 14.8) | 14.1 (12.6, 15.3) | < 0.001 |
| BNP (pg/mL, median [IQR]) | 794.0 (359.0, 1482.9) | 404.0 (169.0, 842.7) | < 0.001 |
| ≤500 | 35.6% | 58.7% | < 0.001 |
| 500-999 | 25.5% | 22.2% | |
| 1000+ | 38.9% | 19.1% | |
| QRS duration (msec, median [IQR] | 131 (106-161) | 124 (99-152) | < 0.001 |
| Index length of stay (days, median [IQR]) | 7.0 (4.0, 13.0) | 7.0 (3.0, 12.0) | 0.001 |
Continuous variables compared using Student's T-test, except for skewed variables expressed at medians which were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and categorical variables compared using Fisher exact test. QoL = quality of life; SD = standard deviation; IQR = interquartile range; KCCQ = Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; OS = Overall Summary; COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HF = heart failure; LVEF = left ventricular ejection fraction; ICD = implantable cardioverter defibrillator; ACEI = angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB = angiotensin II receptor blocker; NYHA = New York Heart Association; BP = blood pressure; JVP = jugular venous pressure estimation; BUN = blood urea nitrogen; GFR = estimated glomerular filtration rate; BNP = b-type natiuretic peptide