Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of patients in the intervention arm
| Characteristic | REACH-HF n=107 (%) | Qualitative interview sample n=19 (%) |
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 69.7 (10.9) | 68.5 (9.8) |
| Female sex | 26 (24) | 7 (37) |
| Body Mass Index BMI (kg/m2); mean (SD) | 29.5 (6.6) | 31.5 (7.4) |
| Main activity | ||
| Retired | 81 (76) | 15 (79) |
| In employment or self-employment | 18 (17) | 2 (11) |
| Unemployed | 5 (5) | 1 (5) |
| Other | 3 (3) | 1 (5) |
| Ethnic origin | ||
| White | 100 (93) | 19 (100) |
| Other (Black, Asian, other) | 7 (7) | 0 (0) |
| NYHA status | ||
| Class I | 24 (22) | 0 (0) |
| Class II | 63 (59) | 13 (68) |
| Class III | 20 (19) | 6 (32) |
| Ischaemic aetiology of HF | 48 (45) | 9 (47) |
| Time since diagnosis of HF (years); mean (SD) | 3.6 (4.2) | 3.8 (3.9) |
| <1 | 35 (33) | 6 (32) |
| 1–2 | 18 (17) | 1 (5) |
| 2–5 | 28 (26) | 7 (37) |
| 5–10 | 14 (13) | 3 (16) |
| >10 | 12 (11) | 2 (11) |
| NTerminal-pro-BNP level (pg/mL); mean (SD) | 1460 (1928) | 1321 (1123) |
| Current smoker | 6 (6) | 1 (5) |
| Comorbidities (past or present) | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 26 (24) | 5 (26) |
| Myocardial infarction | 29 (27) | 7 (37) |
| Hypertension | 45 (42) | 9 (47) |
| Chronic renal impairment | 14 (13) | 3 (16) |
| Arthritis (osteoarthritis or rheumatoid) | 45 (42) | 11 (58) |
| Atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter | 48 (45) | 9 (47) |
| COPD | 9 (8) | 2 (11) |
| Depression | 27 (25) | 7 (37) |
| Number of comorbidities | ||
| 0 | 63 (59) | 9 (47) |
| 1 | 32 (30) | 7 (37) |
| 2 | 7 (7) | 1 (5) |
| 3 or more | 5 (5) | 2 (11) |
| Baseline use of drugs | ||
| Beta-blocker | 90 (84) | 18 (5) |
| Angiotensin II receptor antagonist | 31 (29) | 8 (42) |
| ACE inhibitor | 68 (64) | 10 (53) |
| Baseline use of devices | ||
| Implantable cardiverter defibillator (ICD) | 10 (9) | 3 (16) |
| Cardiac Synchronization Therapy (CRT) | 10 (9) | 1 (5) |
| Combined CRT/ICD | 5 (5) | 2 (11) |
| Pacemaker | 11 (10) | 1 (5) |
| Location | ||
| Cornwall | 30 (28) | 7 (37) |
| Gwent | 23 (22) | 3 (16) |
| Birmingham | 27 (25) | 4 (21) |
| York | 27 (25) | 5 (26) |
| Caregiver present at randomisation | 53 (50) | 13 (68) |
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HF, heart failure; NYHA, New York Heart Association.