Table 1. Baseline Characteristics by Baseline Median Serum Bicarbonate Level*.
| Variable | Serum bicarbonate (mEq/L) < 28 N=362 | Serum bicarbonate (mEq/L) ≥ 28 N=316 | p-value† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | |||
| Age, years | 68.5 (61.0, 78.0) | 68.5 (58.0, 78.0) | 0.46 |
| Gender, Male | 279 (77.1%) | 223 (70.6%) | 0.05 |
| Race, White | 291 (80.4%) | 208 (65.8%) | < 0.001 |
| Ejection fraction, %, | 33.6 (28.2, 40.0) | 30.4 (25.7, 36.0) | < 0.001 |
| Preserved ejection fraction | 121 (33.7%) | 80(25.6%) | 0.03 |
| Heart failure hospitalization in last year | 262 (73.6%) | 217 (69.1%) | 0.20 |
| Past Medical History | |||
| Ischemia as cause of heart failure | 222 (61.3%) | 174 (55.1%) | 0.10 |
| Atrial fibrillation/flutter | 221 (61.0%) | 155 (49.1%) | 0.002 |
| Diabetes | 218 (60.2%) | 172 (54.4%) | 0.13 |
| Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | 103 (28.5%) | 77 (24.4%) | 0.23 |
| Medications before Hospitalization | |||
| Beta Blockers | 292 (80.7%) | 266 (84.2%) | 0.23 |
| Aldosterone antagonist | 902 (24.9%) | 83 (26.3%) | 0.68 |
| Furosemide equivalent dose, mg/day | 120.0 (80.0, 160.0) | 80.0 (80.0, 160.0) | 0.002 |
| Baseline Evaluation | |||
| Weight, lbs | 216.9 (185.4, 267.4) | 196.2 (168.0, 241.8) | < 0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 114.0 (103.0, 126.0) | 116.0 (104.0, 127.0) | 0.36 |
| Heart rate, beats/min | 75.0 (67.0, 84.0) | 76.5 (66.5, 87.5) | 0.18 |
| Jugular Venous Pressure ≥ 8 cm | 330 (95.7%) | 284 (93.4%) | 0.21 |
| Orthopnea | 317 (91.1%) | 276 (92.3%) | 0.58 |
| New York Heart Association Class | 0.77 | ||
| I | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| II | 8 (2.4%) | 9 (3.0%) | |
| III | 217 (64.8%) | 191 (64.1%) | |
| IV | 109 (32.5%) | 98 (32.9%) | |
| Sodium, mg/L | 139.0 (136.0, 141.0) | 138.0 (135.0, 140.0) | 0.001 |
| Blood urea nitrogen, mg/dl | 36.5 (26.0, 51.0) | 40.0 (27.0, 59.0) | 0.05 |
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 1.6 (1.2, 2.0) | 1.7 (1.3, 2.3) | < 0.001 |
| NT-pro BNP‡, pg/ml | 3929 (1999, 8493) | 6230 (2886, 12200) | < 0.001 |
| eGFR‡ | 43.2 (34.1, 55.9) | 38.7 (28.2, 53.6) | 0.001 |
*
Presented as Presented as N (%) or median (25th, 75th percentile)
†
p-values obtained using Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables and Pearson chi-square test for categorical variables
‡
Abbreviations: NT-proBNP: N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide, eGFR: indexed glomerular filtration rate