Table 2.
Comparison of the characteristics of patients receiving either nicardipine or labetalol
| Characteristic n (%), unless otherwise indicated | Nicardipine (n = 110) |
Labetalol (n = 116) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age, years ± SD | 53.3 ± 15.3 | 51.9 ± 13.9 |
| Female | 60 (54.6) | 59 (50.9) |
| White | 28 (25.5) | 24 (20.9) |
| African American | 82 (74.6) | 90 (78.3) |
| Smoking history | 54 (49.1) | 78 (67.2) |
| Current smoker | 30 (27.3) | 49 (42.2) |
| Stimulant use history (cocaine or amphetamines) | 17 (15.5) | 23 (19.8) |
| Median basal metabolic index (IQR) | 29.3 (24.5, 34.3) | 29.4 (25.1, 34.0) |
| Median heart rate, bpm (IQR) | 85 (76, 98) | 85 (73, 97) |
| Chest pain | 33(30.0) | 26 (22.4) |
| Diminished consciousness | 1 (0.9) | 5 (4.3) |
| Headache | 48 (43.6) | 58 (50.0) |
| Shortness of breath | 34 (30.9) | 27 (23.3) |
| Past medical history | ||
| Hypertension | 105 (96.3) | 109 (94.0) |
| Hypertension crisis hospitalization | 40 (38.8) | 39 (36.4) |
| Hyperlipidemia | 46 (43.4) | 31 (27.9) |
| Diabetes | 38 (34.6) | 25 (21.7) |
| Coronary artery disease | 17 (15.7) | 15 (13.0) |
| Dialysis | 16 (14.6) | 12 (10.5) |
| Stroke | 10 (9.2) | 7 (6.2) |
| Heart failure | 8 (7.3) | 12 (10.6) |
| Myocardial infarction | 7 (6.5) | 7 (6.03) |
| Baseline laboratory/ECG | ||
| Median creatinine, mg/dL (IQR) | 1.2 (0.9, 3.0) | 1.1 (0.9, 1.8) |
| Median BNP, pg/dL (IQR) | 365.5 (117, 1981) | 183.5 (125, 1825) |
| Median troponin I (ng/mL) | 0.0 (0.0, 0.2) | 0.0 (0.0, 0.1) |
| Abnormal electrocardiogram | 25 (27.2) | 28 (28.9) |
BNP, B-type natriuretic peptide; IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.