Table 1. Baseline subject characteristics by severity of limitation in peak exercise capacity.
| Upper pVO2 tertile 15.9 (14.4, 16.9) | Middle pVO2 tertile 11.7 (11.2, 12.4) | Lower pVO2 tertile 9.4 (8.3, 10.2) | P-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 73 | 71 | 71 | |
| Age, years | 66 (59, 73) | 69 (63, 79) | 70 (65, 78) | 0.006 |
| Men, n (%) | 53 (73%) | 32 (45%) | 26 (37%) | <0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 32 (28, 37) | 32 (27, 38) | 35 (31, 41) | 0.004 |
| BSA, m2 | 2.2 (2.0, 2.3) | 2.1 (1.9, 2.3) | 2.1 (1.9, 2.3) | 0.23 |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | ||||
| Ischemic heart disease | 31 (43%) | 26 (37%) | 26 (37%) | 0.71 |
| Hypertension | 61 (84%) | 58 (82%) | 63 (89%) | 0.47 |
| Atrial fibrillation (history) | 29 (40%) | 43 (61%) | 39 (41%) | 0.03 |
| Atrial fibrillation (entry ECG) | 20 (27%) | 30 (42%) | 29 (59%) | 0.12 |
| Pacemaker or ICD | 7 (10%) | 13 (18%) | 15 (21%) | 0.13 |
| COPD | 13 (18%) | 11 (16%) | 18 (25%) | 0.31 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 24 (33%) | 28 (39%) | 40 (56%) | 0.01 |
| Medications at enrolment, n (%) | ||||
| Beta blocker | 56 (77%) | 54 (76%) | 54 (76%) | 0.99 |
| Digoxin | 6 (8%) | 8 (11%) | 8 (11%) | 0.78 |
| Calcium blocker | 17 (23%) | 20 (28%) | 28 (39%) | 0.10 |
| Loop diuretic | 46 (63%) | 56 (79%) | 63 (89%) | 0.001 |
| Furosemide- dose/day, mg | 40 (20, 80) | 45 (20, 80) | 80 (40, 120) | 0.002 |
| Clinical characteristics | ||||
| NYHA functional class, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| II | 48 (66%) | 31 (44%) | 21 (30%) | |
| III | 25 (34%) | 40 (56%) | 50 (70%) | |
| MLWHFQ total score | 37 (27, 63) | 46 (32, 62) | 47 (32, 62) | 0.36 |
| MLWHFQ physical dimension | 21(13, 29) | 22 (14, 31) | 25 (17, 32) | 0.27 |
| Rales, n (%) | 4 (5%) | 4 (6%) | 6 (8%) | 0.78 |
| Third heart sound (S3), n (%) | 0 (0%) | 5 (7%) | 4 (6%) | 0.06 |
| JVP > 8 cmH2O, n (%) | 24 (33%) | 33 (46%) | 38 (54%) | 0.04 |
| Moderate to severe edema, n (%) | 9 (12%) | 13 (18%) | 22 (31%) | 0.02 |
| Laboratory values | ||||
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 1.1 (0.8, 1.3) | 1.1 (0.8, 1.3) | 1.3 (0.9, 1.7) | 0.02 |
| eGRF, ml/min/1.73 m2 | 71 (55, 88) | 65 (51, 83) | 52 (36, 68) | 0.0001 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 13.4 (12.6, 14.5) | 12.6 (11.5, 13.8) | 12.4 (11.5, 13.3) | <0.001 |
| NT-proBNP, pg/ml | 485 (93, 876) | 621 (247, 1296) | 1279 (618, 2331) | <0.001 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; BSA, body surface area; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ECG, electrocardiogram; JVP, jugular venous pressure; MLWHF, Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide; NYHA, New York Heart Association; VO2; oxygen consumption