Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics According to the Status of Anemia.
| Variables | No anemia Hb ≥ 13.0 g/dl for men, and ≥12.0 g/dl for women | Mild anemia Hb 11.0–12.9 g/dl for men, and 11.0–11.9 g/dl for women | Moderate/Severe anemia Hb ≤ 10.9 g/dl | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 1286 | N = 835 | N = 1282 | ||
| Clinical characteristics | ||||
| Age, y | 74.5 ± 9.9 | 78.0 ± 8.7 | 81.4 ± 8.7 | <0.001 |
| Men | 524 (41) | 399 (48) | 371 (29) | <0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 22.7 ± 3.7 | 22.0 ± 3.7 | 20.6 ± 3.6 | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 879 (68) | 598 (72) | 923 (72) | 0.09 |
| Current smoking | 87 (7) | 51 (6) | 37 (3) | <0.001 |
| Dyslipidemia | 514 (40) | 308 (37) | 372 (29) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 296 (23) | 209 (25) | 323 (25) | 0.4 |
| Coronary artery disease | 341 (27) | 304 (36) | 398 (31) | <0.001 |
| Prior PCI | 126 (10) | 132 (16) | 189 (15) | <0.001 |
| Prior CABG | 38 (3) | 58 (7) | 72 (6) | <0.001 |
| Prior myocardial infarction | 73 (6) | 78 (9) | 132 (10) | <0.001 |
| Prior HF | 158 (12) | 119 (14) | 314 (24) | <0.001 |
| Aortic/peripheral vascular disease | 156 (12) | 152 (18) | 227 (18) | <0.001 |
| Serum creatinine, mg/dl | 0.8 (0.6–1.0) | 0.9 (0.7–1.2) | 1.1 (0.8–2.3) | <0.001 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 13.4 (12.7–14.2) | 11.6 (11.3–11.9) | 9.7 (8.7–10.4) | <0.001 |
| BNP, pg/ml | 143 (57–432) | 216 (97–615) | 554 (202–1357) | <0.001 |
| CRP, mg/dl | 0.13 (0.06–0.36) | 0.2 (0.08–0.64) | 0.43 (0.1–2.2) | <0.001 |
| Malignancy | 145 (11) | 114 (14) | 216 (17) | <0.001 |
| Chronic lung disease | 159 (12) | 88 (11) | 119 (9) | 0.04 |
| Logistic EuroSCORE, % | 7.0 (4.2–12.0) | 9.4 (6.2–16.0) | 14.2 (9.0–23.0) | <0.001 |
| EuroSCORE II,% | 1.9 (1.2–3.5) | 2.8 (1.7–4.5) | 4.1 (2.7–6.8) | <0.001 |
| STS score (PROM), % | 2.5 (1.6–4.0) | 3.8 (2.4–5.9) | 6.1 (3.7–1.0) | <0.001 |
| Echocardiographic variables | ||||
| Vmax, m/s | 4.2 ± 0.9 | 4.2 ± 0.9 | 4.1 ± 0.9 | 0.01 |
| Mean aortic PG, mmHg | 42 ± 20 | 42 ± 21 | 41 ± 20 | 0.09 |
| AVA (equation of continuity), cm2 | 0.73 ± 0.18 | 0.72 ± 0.18 | 0.69 ± 0.19 | <0.001 |
| Low gradient AS (Vmax ≤ 4 m/s and mean | 537 (42) | 356 (43) | 597 (47) | 0.04 |
| aortic PG ≤ 40 mmHg, but AVA < 1.0 cm2) | ||||
| LVEF, % | 64 ± 13 | 63 ± 13 | 61 ± 14 | <0.001 |
| IVST in diastole, mm | 11.5 ± 2.4 | 11.5 ± 2.3 | 11.2 ± 2.2 | 0.002 |
| PWT in diastole, mm | 11.1 ± 2.0 | 11.1 ± 2.2 | 10.9 ± 2.0 | 0.04 |
| TR pressure gradient ≥40 mm Hg | 158 (12) | 117 (14) | 292 (23) | <0.001 |
| Therapeutic strategy | ||||
| Initial AVR | 549 (43) | 316 (38) | 313 (24) | <0.001 |
| Conservative | 737 (57) | 519 (62) | 969 (76) | <0.001 |
Values are mean ± SD, median (interquartile range), or number (%). The values of CRP and BNP were obtained in 2914 (76%) and 1801 (47%) patients, respectively. Further detailed data on baseline characteristics were provided in Supplemental Table S2.
AS = aortic stenosis; AVA = aortic valve area; AVR = aortic valve replacement; BMI = body mass index; BNP = brain-derived natriuretic peptide; CABG = coronary artery bypass grafting; CRP = C-reactive protein; Hb = hemoglobin; HF = heart failure; IVST = interventricular septum thickness, LVEF = left ventricular ejection fraction; PCI = percutaneous coronary intervention; PG = pressure gradient; PROM = predicted risk of mortality; PWT = posterior wall thickness; STS = Society of Thoracic Surgeons; TR = tricuspid regurgitation; Vmax = peak aortic jet velocity.