Table 1.
Baseline clinical characteristics of the study population
| NT-proBNP level |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All patients | Low | Intermediate | High | ||
| Variable | n=182 | n=60 | n=61 | n=61 | p Value |
| NT-proBNP level | 1415 [2932] | 441 [342] | 1390 [860] | 5170 [6045] | |
| Men | 59 (32) | 20 (33) | 18 (30) | 21 (34) | 0.83 |
| Age (years) | 81.2±11.0 | 74.7±12.8 | 83.0±9.2 | 85.8±7.4 | <0.001 |
| History of any cardiovascular disease | 130 (71) | 36 (60) | 43 (70) | 51 (83) | 0.02 |
| History of heart failure | 26 (14) | 3 (5) | 5 (8) | 18 (30) | <0.001 |
| Coronary artery disease | 56 (31) | 12 (20) | 19 (31) | 25 (41) | 0.04 |
| Prior myocardial infarction | 19 (10) | 3 (5) | 6 (10) | 10 (16) | 0.12 |
| Prior coronary revascularisation | 14 (8) | 2 (3) | 4 (7) | 8 (13) | 0.12 |
| Hypertension | 91 (50) | 22 (37) | 31 (51) | 38 (62) | 0.02 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 32 (18) | 10 (17) | 9 (15) | 13 (21) | 0.62 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 39 (21) | 3 (5) | 10 (16) | 26 (43) | <0.001 |
| Renal failure | 10 (6) | 0 (0) | 1 (2) | 9 (15) | <0.001 |
| Dementia | 73 (40) | 16 (27) | 32 (53) | 25 (41) | 0.02 |
| Prior TIA or stroke | 30 (17) | 11 (18) | 11 (18) | 8 (13) | 0.68 |
| Preoperative ASA class | 3.28±0.57 | 3.10±0.63 | 3.27±0.52 | 3.48±0.50 | 0.001 |
| RCRI | 0.72±0.91 | 0.53±0.83 | 0.64±0.86 | 0.98±0.99 | 0.017 |
| Preoperative haemoglobin | 113±17 | 116±14 | 111±16 | 113±19 | 0.32 |
| Received red blood cell units | 1.51±1.53 | 1.68±1.70 | 1.66±1.54 | 1.18±1.30 | 0.125 |
| Perioperative TnT elevation | 66 (36) | 7 (12) | 18 (30) | 41 (67) | <0.001 |
| Cardiovascular medication at hospital admission | |||||
| Aspirin | 68 (37) | 20 (33) | 22 (36) | 26 (43) | 0.55 |
| Low-molecular-weight heparin | 2 (1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (3) | 0.14 |
| Warfarin | 28 (15) | 3 (5) | 11 (18) | 14 (23) | 0.018 |
| β-blocker | 70 (38) | 14 (23) | 25 (41) | 31 (51) | 0.007 |
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 48 (26) | 9 (15) | 20 (33) | 19 (31) | 0.05 |
| Calcium channel blocker | 29 (16) | 7 (12) | 10 (16) | 12 (20) | 0.48 |
| Diuretic | 61 (34) | 13 (22) | 17 (28) | 31 (51) | 0.002 |
| Digoxin | 14 (8) | 4 (7) | 3 (5) | 7 (11) | 0.38 |
| Statin | 46 (25) | 14 (23) | 17 (28) | 15 (25) | 0.84 |
Data are presented as median (IQR), count (%) or mean±SD.
ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; ASA class, American Society of Anesthesiologists’ physical status classification; NT-proBNP, N-terminal fragment of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide; RCRI, Revised Cardiac Risk Index, Lee's score; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.