Table 1.
Baseline patient characteristics of hospitalized patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, prescription of spironolactone, before and after propensity score matching by discharge
| n (%) or mean (±SD) | Before propensity score matching Spironolactone on discharge |
After propensity score matching Spironolactone on discharge |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No (n=1545) | Yes (n=329) | P value | No (n=324) | Yes (n=324) | P value | |
| Age (years) | 74 (±10) | 72 (±11) | <0.001 | 72.3 (±11) | 71.9 (±11) | 0.644 |
| Female | 698 (45%) | 135 (41%) | 0.170 | 140 (43%) | 134 (41%) | 0.633 |
| African American | 361 (23%) | 110 (33%) | <0.001 | 106 (33%) | 106 (33%) | 1.000 |
| Smoking history | 231 (15%) | 66 (20%) | 0.021 | 57 (18%) | 64 (20%) | 0.480 |
| Admission from nursing home | 58 (4%) | 10 (3%) | 0.529 | 14 (4%) | 10 (3%) | 0.405 |
| Past medical history | ||||||
| Prior heart failure | 1131 (73%) | 236 (72%) | 0.585 | 226 (70%) | 233 (72%) | 0.545 |
| Hypertension | 1046 (68%) | 238 (72%) | 0.100 | 239 (74%) | 235 (73%) | 0.723 |
| Coronary artery disease | 997 (65%) | 198 (60%) | 0.136 | 188 (58%) | 196 (61%) | 0.522 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 620 (40%) | 155 (47%) | 0.020 | 154 (48%) | 151 (47%) | 0.813 |
| Stroke | 302 (20%) | 52 (16%) | 0.115 | 56 (17%) | 52 (16%) | 0.673 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 556 (36%) | 110 (33%) | 0.380 | 108 (33%) | 110 (34%) | 0.868 |
| Dementia | 122 (8%) | 17 (5%) | 0.086 | 22 (7%) | 17 (5%) | 0.409 |
| Cancer | 41 (3%) | 13 (4%) | 0.201 | 12 (4%) | 12 (4%) | 1.000 |
| Clinical findings | ||||||
| Pulse (beats per minute) | 93 (±23) | 96 (±23) | 0.045 | 97 (±23) | 96 (±23) | 0.766 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 144 (±30) | 145 (±29) | 0.690 | 146 (±28.5) | 146 (±29.3) | 0.925 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 81 (±18) | 82 (±18) | 0.303 | 82.1 (±18) | 82.3 (±18) | 0.931 |
| Pulmonary edema by chest x-ray | 1103 (71%) | 241 (73%) | 0.496 | 240 (74%) | 238 (74%) | 0.858 |
| Atrial fibrillation by electrocardiogram | 421 (27%) | 75 (23%) | 0.096 | 68 (21%) | 75 (23%) | 0.507 |
| Left bundle branch block | 374 (24%) | 76 (23%) | 0.670 | 77 (24%) | 75 (23%) | 0.853 |
| Ejection fraction | 25.4 (±7.0) | 24.0 (±7.2) | 0.001 | 24.1 (±6.8) | 24.7 (±7.3) | 0.288 |
| Tests and procedures | ||||||
| Serum potassium (mEq/L) | 4.19 (±0.6) | 4.18 (±0.6) | 0.923 | 4.2 (±0.55) | 4.2 (±0.64) | 0.874 |
| Serum creatinine (mEq/L) | 1.30 (±0.4) | 1.29 (±0.4) | 0.488 | 1.26 (±0.4) | 1.29 (±0.4) | 0.311 |
| In-hospital events | ||||||
| Pneumonia | 381 (25%) | 90 (27%) | 0.306 | 85 (26%) | 87 (27%) | 0.859 |
| Acute myocardial infarction | 85 (6%) | 25 (8%) | 0.142 | 25 (8%) | 23 (7%) | 0.764 |
| Pressure ulcer | 117 (8%) | 24 (7%) | 0.862 | 23 (7%) | 24 (7%) | 0.880 |
| Hospital and care characteristics | ||||||
| Rural hospital | 384 (25%) | 61 (19%) | 0.015 | 55 (17%) | 60 (19%) | 0.607 |
| Cardiology care | 1035 (67%) | 265 (81%) | <0.001 | 262 (81%) | 260 (80%) | 0.843 |
| Intensive care unit | 74 (5%) | 19 (6%) | 0.455 | 22 (7%) | 19 (6%) | 0.628 |
| Length of stay (days) | 6.6 (±4) | 7.6 (±5) | <0.001 | 7.5 (±5.1) | 7.5 (±4.8) | 0.994 |
| Discharge medications | ||||||
| ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers |
1106 (71%) | 280 (85%) | <0.001 | 269 (83%) | 276 (85%) | 0.452 |
| Beta blockers | 511 (33%) | 124 (38%) | 0.108 | 111 (34%) | 122 (38%) | 0.368 |
| Loop diuretics | 1362 (88%) | 302 (92%) | 0.058 | 297 (92%) | 297 (92%) | 1.000 |
| Digoxin | 916 (59%) | 222 (68%) | 0.006 | 202 (62%) | 217 (67%) | 0.218 |
| Potassium supplements | 795 (52%) | 121 (37%) | <0.001 | 108 (33%) | 121 (37%) | 0.285 |
ACE = angiotensin converting enzyme