Table 3.
Baseline clinical characteristics
| SPC needs (n = 74) | Not SPC needs (n = 198) | P‐value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 73 (65–81) | 77 (71–83) | 0.041 |
| Female sex | 28 (38) | 100 (51) | 0.076 |
| SBP, mmHg | 127 (112–152) | 136 (120–158) | 0.018 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 28 (24–32) | 26 (24–32) | 0.245 |
| NYHA class | 0.031 | ||
| II | 20 (27) | 62 (31) | |
| III | 33 (45) | 108 (55) | |
| IV | 21 (28) | 28 (14) | |
| Medical history | |||
| Previous HF diagnosis | 38 (51) | 82 (41) | 0.170 |
| HF diagnosis >2 years | 19 (26) | 58 (29) | 0.651 |
| HF hospitalisation in preceding 6 months | 10 (14) | 12 (6) | 0.077 |
| Hypertension | 52 (70) | 132 (67) | 0.663 |
| Myocardial infarction | 41 (55) | 70 (35) | 0.004 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 41 (55) | 103 (52) | 0.683 |
| TIA/CVA | 11 (15) | 41 (21) | 0.385 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 11 (15) | 27 (14) | 1.000 |
| Diabetes | 32 (43) | 57 (29) | 0.029 |
| COPD | 23 (31) | 46 (23) | 0.211 |
| Depression | 14 (19) | 23 (12) | 0.164 |
| Cancer | 7 (10) | 24 (12) | 0.670 |
| ICD/CRT | 5 (7) | 13 (7) | 1.000 |
| Discharge medication | |||
| ACEi/ARB | 48 (65) | 137 (69) | 0.559 |
| Beta‐blocker | 48 (65) | 144 (73) | 0.232 |
| MRA | 24 (32) | 67 (34) | 0.886 |
| Digoxin | 20 (27) | 56 (28) | 0.880 |
| Laboratory | |||
| BNP, pg/mL | 807 (471–1810) | 683 (417–1329) | 0.192 |
| Na+, mmol/L | 138 (134–140) | 138 (135–140) | 0.621 |
| eGFR, mL/min/1.73 m2 | 55 (38–80) | 63 (40–82) | 0.639 |
| Hb, g/L | 120 (108–133) | 123 (109–138) | 0.346 |
| Echocardiography | |||
| EF ≤50% | 52 (70) | 131 (66) | 0.564 |
| EF, % | 36 (24–50) | 40 (27–54) | 0.191 |
| LVIDD/BSA, mm/m2 | 30 (26–35) | 29 (26–33) | 0.397 |
| Physician completed assessments | |||
| AKPS | 60 (50–80) | 80 (60–90) | <0.001 |
| NAT‐PD‐HF significant concern | 28 (38) | 42 (21) | 0.008 |
| Caregiver burden assessment | |||
| ZBI severity* | <0.001 | ||
| None/mild | 9 (33) | 48 (73) | |
| Mild–moderate | 12 (44) | 13 (20) | |
| Moderate–severe | 6 (22) | 5 (8) | |
| ZBI summary score | 24 (15–38) | 12 (6–22) | <0.001 |
Values are expressed as n (%) or median (interquartile range).
ACEi, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; AKPS, Australia modified Karnofsky Performance Status; BMI, body mass index; BSA, body surface area; BNP, B‐type natriuretic peptide; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRT, cardiac resynchronisation therapy; CVA, cerebral vascular accident; EF, ejection fraction; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; Hb, haemoglobin; HF, heart failure; ICD, implantable cardioverter defibrillator; LVIDD, left ventricular internal diameter in diastole; MRA, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist; Na+, sodium; NAT‐PD‐HF, Needs Assessment Tool‐Progressive Disease‐Heart Failure; NYHA, New York Heart Association; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SPC, specialist palliative care; TIA, transient ischaemic attack; ZBI, Zarit Burden Interview.
93 caregivers completed the ZBI questionnaire at baseline.