Table 1.
Characteristics of controls (Ctrls) and patients with HFrEF
| Ctrls | HFrEF | |
|---|---|---|
| NYHA class | – | II–III |
| HFrEF aetiology (ischaemic/non-ischaemic) | – | 11/1 |
| Sinus rhythm | 8/8 | 12/12 |
| Activity level (range 0–10) | 3 ± 1 | 2 ± 1 |
| Age (years) | 52 ± 2 | 53 ± 1 |
| Stature (cm) | 177 ± 2 | 179 ± 2 |
| Body mass (kg) | 88 ± 5 | 98 ± 6 |
| VO2max (mL kg−1 min−1) | 21.2 ± 1.7 | 15.2 ± 1.1* |
| BNP (pg mL−1) | 36 ± 5 | 1010 ± 126* |
| Quadriceps muscle-specific data | ||
| Quadriceps (one leg) muscle mass (kg) | 2.2 ± 0.1 | 2.2 ± 0.1 |
| KE exercise VO2max (mL min−1 100 g−1) | 21.1 ± 2.1 | 15.3 ± 1.3* |
| Fibre cross-sectional area (μm2) | 3853 ± 606 | 3092 ± 237 |
| % area of type I fibres | 41 ± 4 | 37 ± 4 |
| % area of type II fibres | 59 ± 4 | 63 ± 4 |
| Capillary density (capillaries mm−2) | 415 ± 46 | 442 ± 21 |
| Capillary-to-fibre ratio | 1.52 ± 0.10 | 1.36 ± 0.12 |
| Number of capillaries around a fibre | 3.8 ± 0.1 | 3.3 ± 0.3 |
| Mitochondrial volume density (%) | 4.4 ± 0.4 | 3.3 ± 0.3* |
| Lipid droplets volume density (%) | 0.30 ± 0.06 | 0.36 ± 0.07 |
NYHA, New York Heart Association; VO2max, maximal oxygen uptake during cycle exercise; BNP, brain-type natriuretic peptide; KE, knee extensor; HFrEF, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction Data are expressed as mean ± SE.
*
P < 0.05 (HFrEF vs Ctrls).