Table 3.
Baseline Characteristics of Patients With Below‐ or Above‐Median NT‐proBNP/emBNP Ratios
| Characteristics | Below‐Median NT‐proBNP/emBNP Ratio | Above‐Median NT‐proBNP/emBNP Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Patients, N | 91 | 91 |
| Age, y | 73 (63–78) | 77 (70–81)a |
| Female sex, N (%) | 24 (26) | 37 (41)a |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.1 (20.4–26.3) | 23.1 (21.1–25.5) |
| NYHA class III or IV, N (%) | 87 (95) | 87 (96) |
| Cause, N (%) | ||
| Ischemic | 29 (32) | 28 (31) |
| Nonischemic cardiomyopathy | 20 (22) | 21 (23) |
| Valvular | 18 (20) | 23 (25) |
| Hypertensive | 17 (18) | 15 (16) |
| Others | 8 (9) | 4 (4) |
| History, N (%) | ||
| HF hospitalization | 32 (35) | 50 (55)a |
| Hypertension | 66 (73) | 59 (66) |
| DM | 33 (36) | 43 (47) |
| Dyslipidemia | 43 (48) | 51 (57) |
| Vital signs on admission | ||
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 133 (113–152) | 137 (110–161) |
| Heart rate, bpm | 88 (71–106) | 86 (70–106) |
| Echocardiography | ||
| LVDd, mm | 58 (49–64) | 53 (46–63) |
| LVDs, mm | 48 (37–58) | 41 (32–54) |
| LVEF, % | 33 (21–48) | 35 (24–51) |
| Laboratory data | ||
| eGFR, mL/min per 1.73 m2 | 55 (43–68) | 36 (24–48)a |
| BUN, mg/dL | 20 (16–26) | 29 (20–42)a |
| CRP, mg/dL | 0.30 (0.11–0.65) | 0.68 (0.18–2.58)a |
| Total plasma BNP, pmol/L | 102.9 (51.1–176.4) | 117.8 (60.1–190.5) |
| NT‐proBNP, pmol/L | 305.3 (140.2–658.5) | 914.3 (476.5–2073.9)a |
| cGMP, nmol/L | 14.0 (8.0–17.0) | 13.2 (8.1–19.3) |
| Medications, N (%) | ||
| ACEi or ARB | 57 (63) | 56 (62) |
| β Blockers | 66 (66) | 62 (69) |
| Loop diuretics | 58 (64) | 61 (69) |
Values are the median (interquartile range), unless otherwise specified. ACEi indicates angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; BMI, body mass index; BNP, B‐type or brain natriuretic peptide; bpm, beats per minute; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; CRP, C‐reactive protein; DM, diabetes mellitus; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; emBNP, estimated mature BNP; HF, heart failure; LVDd, left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter; LVDs, left ventricular end‐systolic diameter; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NT‐proBNP, N‐terminal proBNP; NYHA, New York Heart Association.
P<0.05 vs the patients with below‐median NT‐proBNP/emBNP ratio.