Table 1. Patient characteristics overall and by ejection fraction groups.
| Patient characteristics | Overall (n = 954) | EF < 50% (n = 654) | EF ≥ 50% (n = 243) | p-value |
| Age, years, mean ± SD | 52.3 ± 18.24 | 52.3 ± 17.64 | 53.0 ± 19.58 | 0.62 |
| Male gender, n (%) | 469 (49.2) | 342 (52.3) | 101 (41.7) | 0.0050 |
| Black Africans, n (%) | 939 (99.1) | 646 (99.1) | 242 (99.6) | 0.68 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 532 (56.0) | 369 (56.7) | 138 (57.0) | 0.93 |
| Hyperlipidaemia, n (%) | 84 (9.0) | 58 (9.1) | 23 (9.6) | 0.80 |
| History of smoking, n (%) | 93 (9.8) | 64 (9.8) | 17 (7.1) | 0.20 |
| Malignancy, n (%) | 13 (1.4) | 10 (1.5) | 3 (1.2) | 1.00 |
| History of cor pulmonale, n (%) | 67 (7.1) | 34 (5.2) | 30 (12.4) | 0.0002 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 109 (11.4) | 72 (11.0) | 26 (10.7) | 0.88 |
| Peripheral oedema, n (%) | 631 (67.1) | 448 (69.6) | 146 (60.8) | 0.014 |
| Rales, n (%) | 533 (63.8) | 382 (65.3) | 130 (59.6) | 0.14 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean ± SD | 24.9 ± 5.84 | 24.8 ± 5.62 | 24.7 ± 6.10 | 0.82 |
| Systolic BP, mmHg, mean ± SD | 130.7 ± 33.51 | 127.9 ± 32.16 | 137.2 ± 36.35 | 0.0006 |
| Diastolic BP, mmHg, mean ± SD | 84.5 ± 21.04 | 84.0 ± 20.52 | 85.5 ± 22.04 | 0.34 |
| Heart rate, bpm, mean ± SD | 104.0 ± 21.35 | 105.0 ± 21.02 | 101.1 ± 22.69 | 0.016 |
| LVEF, %, mean ± SD | 39.4 ± 16.43 | 39.4 ± 16.43 | 60.6 ± 9.65 | < 0.001 |
| Creatinine level, mg/dl, mean ± SD | 1.4 ± 0.99 | 1.4 ± 0.99 | 1.3 ± 1.07 | 0.54 |
| BUN, mg/dl, mean ± SD | 34.7 ± 31.59 | 35.1 ± 29.58 | 35.9 ± 38.35 | 0.79 |
| Sodium level, mEq/l, mean ± SD | 135.2 ± 6.57 | 135.0 ± 6.72 | 135.5 ± 6.3 | 0.27 |
| eGFR, ml/min/1.73 m2, mean ± SD | 84.4 ± 47.91 | 81.7 ± 44.08 | 90.8 ± 57.97 | 0.032 |
| Haemoglobin, g/dl, mean ± SD | 12.1 ± 2.41 | 12.3 ± 2.30 | 11.8 ± 2.64 | 0.019 |
| Glucose level, mg/dl, mean ± SD | 109.8 ± 49.92 | 110.4 ± 51.95 | 106.1 ± 41.93 | 0.22 |
| (mmol/l) | (6.09 ± 2.77) | (6.13 ± 2.88) | (5.89 ± 2.33) | |
| Prior medication use, n (%) | ||||
| ACE inhibitor | 180 (32.4) | 134 (34.9) | 40 (24.8) | 0.022 |
| Loop diuretics | 215 (39.4) | 152 (40.1) | 57 (36.5) | 0.44 |
| β-blockers | 97 (17.9) | 69 (18.3) | 26 (16.7) | 0.65 |
| Digoxin | 103 (18.9) | 80 (21.1) | 22 (13.9) | 0.053 |
| Hydralazine | 3 (0.6) | 2 (0.5) | 1 (0.6) | 1.00 |
| Nitrates | 10 (1.8) | 8 (2.1) | 2 (1.3) | 0.73 |
| Aldosterone inhibitor | 101 (18.5) | 77 (20.4) | 22 (13.8) | 0.075 |
| Statins | 27 (5.0) | 18 (4.8) | 9 (5.7) | 0.68 |
| Aspirin | 122 (22.2) | 91 (24.0) | 29 (18.1) | 0.13 |
| Anticoagulants | 31 (5.7) | 22 (5.9) | 7 (4.4) | 0.49 |
| Aetiology of heart failure, n (%) | ||||
| Hypertensive CMP | 380 (40.9) | 274 (42.5) | 86 (37.6) | |
| Idiopathic dilated CMP | 129 (13.9) | 120 (18.6) | 2 (0.9) | |
| Rheumatic heart disease | 133 (14.3) | 75 (11.6) | 55 (24.0) | |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 71 (7.6) | 57 (8.8) | 10 (4.4) | |
| Peripartum cardiomyopathy | 72 (7.8) | 59 (9.2) | 2 (0.9) | |
| Pericardial effusion tamponade | 45 (4.8) | 22 (3.4) | 23 (10.0) | |
| HIV cardiomyopathy | 22 (2.4) | 12 (1.9) | 8 (3.5) | |
| Endomyocardial fibrosis | 11 (1.2) | 2 (0.3) | 8 (3.5) | |
| Other | 66 (7.1) | 24 (3.7) | 35 (15.3) | |
EF, ejaculation fraction; BMI, body mass index; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; CMP, cardiomyopathy; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate.