Table 2.
Patients’ baseline characteristics
| Stage 1 (N = 30) | Stage 2 (N = 26) | Stage 3 (N = 34) | P values | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 66 ± 10 | 60 ± 13 | 62 ± 12 | 0.08 |
| Male, n (%) | 17 (57%) | 23 (86%) | 27 (80%) | 0.020 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 14 (47%) | 14 (54%) | 11 (32%) | 0.24 |
| Dialysis, n (%) | 3 (10%) | 4 (15%) | 6 (18%) | 0.70 |
| Atrial fibrillation, n (%) | 7 (23%) | 3 (12%) | 6 (18%) | 0.58 |
| History of VT, n (%) | 2 (7%) | 2 (8%) | 8 (24%) | 0.12 |
| Previous CABG, n (%) | 4 (13%) | 1 (4%) | 4 (12%) | 0.46 |
| Previous PCI, n (%) | 8 (27%) | 5 (19%) | 18 (53%) | 0.015 |
| NYHA functional class III/IV, n (%) | 11 (37%) | 20 (77%) | 30 (88%) | <0.001 |
| Inotropic support, n (%) | 1 (4%) | 5 (19%) | 6 (18%) | 0.24 |
| Coronary artery lesions, n (%) | ||||
| Left main | 8 (27%) | 3 (12%) | 5 (15%) | 0.33 |
| Left anterior descending | 28 (93%) | 23 (89%) | 30 (88%) | 0.75 |
| Left circumflex | 25 (83%) | 24 (92%) | 26 (77%) | 0.31 |
| Right coronary | 26 (87%) | 24 (92%) | 28 (82%) | 0.54 |
| Medical treatment, n (%) | ||||
| Beta-blocker | 5 (17%) | 15 (60%) | 14 (41%) | 0.004 |
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 9 (30%) | 18 (72%) | 18 (53%) | 0.004 |
ACE: angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB: angiotensin II receptor blocker; CABG: coronary artery bypass grafting; NYHA: New York Heart Association; PCI = percutaneous coronary intervention; VT: ventricular tachyarrhythmia