Table 1.
Baseline patient characteristics according to serum albumin in the outpatient cohort
| Characteristic | Serum Albumin ≤ Median, n=99 | Serum Albumin > Median, n=94 |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||
| Age, yr | 69±13 | 67±14 |
| Women, n (%) | 39 (39) | 38 (40) |
| Never smoker, n (%) | 28 (29) | 34 (36) |
| Comorbidities (%) | ||
| Diabetes | 53 (54) | 46 (49) |
| Stroke | 17 (17) | 9 (10) |
| CAD | 46 (47) | 43 (46) |
| Arrhythmia | 70 (71) | 49 (53) |
| Valvular heart disease | 24 (25) | 30 (32) |
| Ejection fraction | 44±18 | 44±16 |
| Hypertension | 81 (82) | 81 (86) |
| Sleep apnea | 33 (33) | 29 (31) |
| Baseline laboratory values | ||
| Serum albumin, g/dl | 3.4±0.3 | 4.1±0.3 |
| Urine ACR, mg/g Cr | 47 (IQR, 17–305) | 30 (IQR, 14–148) |
| Serum Cr, mg/dl | 1.6±0.8 | 1.6±0.8 |
| eGFR (CKD-EPI), ml/min per 1.73 m2 | 53±28 | 54±30 |
| BUN-to-Cr ratio | 24±9 | 23±7 |
| NT-proBNP, pg/ml | 2830 (IQR, 750–5250) | 1385 (IQR, 452–3700) |
| Serum sodium, mEq/L | 137±4 | 138±4 |
| Serum potassium, mEq/L | 4.1±0.5 | 4.2±0.5 |
| Serum chloride, mEq/L | 98±5 | 99±5 |
| Serum IL-6, pg/ml | 2.6 (IQR, 1.5–6.1) | 1.7 (IQR, 1.0–2.9) |
| Baseline medications (before study), n (%) | ||
| Aldosterone receptor antagonist | 21 (21) | 26 (28) |
| ACEI or ARB | 43 (43) | 46 (49) |
| Thiazide diuretic | 11 (11) | 12 (13) |
| Loop diuretic | 93 (94) | 89 (96) |
| Study medications | ||
| Study diuretic: bumetanide | 65 (66) | 45 (48) |
| Study diuretic: torsemide | 34 (34) | 49 (52) |
| Study loop diuretic dose (mg) in furosemide equivalents | 160 (IQR, 80–320) | 160 (IQR, 40–210) |
| Diuretic efficiency | ||
| Diuretic efficiency (mmol sodium per doubling of loop diuretic dose) | 26 (IQR, 15–43) | 41 (IQR, 15–67) |
Values reflect mean (±SD) if linearly distributed or number (percentage) if categorical. CAD, coronary artery disease; ACR, albumin-to-creatinine ratio; Cr, creatinine; IQR, interquartile range; CKD-EPI, Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide; ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker.