Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of male patients according to corrected QT Interval (total n = 2,665)
| Characteristic | 1st quartile (350 ≤ QTc ≤ 447 ms) (n = 685) | 2nd quartile (447 < QTc ≤ 473 ms) (n = 666) | 3rd quartile (473 < QTc ≤ 498 ms) (n = 649) | 4th quartile (QTc > 498 ms) (n = 664) | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic data | |||||||
| Age, yr | 65.9 ± 15.1 | 64.7 ± 15.2 | 64.7 ± 65.8 | 65.8 ± 14.8 | 0.249 | ||
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.8 ± 3.8 | 23.6 ± 3.5 | 23.8 ± 4.1 | 23.3 ± 3.6 | 0.078 | ||
| Past medical history | |||||||
| Hypertension | 396 (57.8) | 375 (56.3) | 362 (55.8) | 352 (53.0) | 0.350 | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 257 (37.5) | 242 (36.3) | 235 (36.2) | 231 (34.8) | 0.779 | ||
| Heart failure | 269 (39.3) | 270 (40.5) | 260 (40.1) | 293 (44.1) | 0.281 | ||
| Ischemic heart disease | 209 (30.5) | 225 (33.8) | 208 (32.0) | 211 (31.9) | 0.631 | ||
| Valvular heart disease | 90 (13.1) | 71 (10.7) | 73 (11.2) | 74 (11.1) | 0.499 | ||
| COLD | 109 (15.9) | 84 (12.6) | 73 (11.2) | 86 (13.0) | 0.080 | ||
| CKD | 113 (16.5) | 99 (14.9) | 117 (18.0) | 85 (12.8) | 0.056 | ||
| Cerebrovascular accident | 105 (15.3) | 115 (17.3) | 93 (14.4) | 116 (17.5) | 0.339 | ||
| Social history | |||||||
| Smoking history | 0.062 | ||||||
| Current smoker | 194 (28.3) | 236 (35.4) | 192 (29.6) | 204 (30.7) | |||
| Ex-smoker | 251 (36.6) | 234 (35.1) | 222 (34.2) | 235 (35.4) | |||
| Never smoker | 240 (35.0) | 196 (29.4) | 235 (36.2) | 225 (33.9) | |||
| Alcohol history | 0.013 | ||||||
| Heavy drinker | 62 (9.1) | 81 (12.2) | 84 (12.9) | 100 (15.1) | |||
| Social drinker | 350 (51.1) | 315 (47.3) | 328 (50.5) | 295 (44.4) | |||
| Never drinker | 273 (39.9) | 270 (40.5) | 237 (36.5) | 269 (40.5) | |||
| Major ECG abnormalities | |||||||
| Atrial fibrillation | 207 (30.2) | 165 (24.8) | 165 (25.4) | 165 (24.9) | 0.067 | ||
| Right bundle branch block | 19 (2.8) | 26 (3.9) | 55 (8.5) | 122 (18.4) | < 0.001 | ||
| Left bundle branch block | 6 (0.9) | 13 (2.0) | 17 (2.6) | 84 (12.5) | < 0.001 | ||
| NYHA functional class | 0.482 | ||||||
| Stage II | 115 (16.8) | 123 (18.5) | 98 (15.1) | 101 (15.2) | |||
| Stage III | 247 (36.1) | 248 (37.2) | 247 (38.1) | 236 (35.5) | |||
| Stage IV | 323 (47.2) | 295 (44.3) | 304 (46.8) | 327 (49.2) | |||
| Physical exam | |||||||
| SBP, mmHg | 129.8 ± 29.6 | 131.1 ± 31.5 | 132.37 ± 30.8 | 127.0 ± 30.5 | 0.011 | ||
| DBP, mmHg | 76.5 ± 18.5 | 79.5 ± 19.1 | 80.7 ± 19.2 | 79.1 ± 20.0 | 0.001 | ||
| HR, beats/min | 87.9 ± 26.0 | 91.4 ± 24.3 | 94.6 ± 25.4 | 95.2 ± 26.8 | < 0.001 | ||
| Laboratory exam | |||||||
| Hemoglobin, mg/dL | 14.6 ± 2.3 | 14.5 ± 2.4 | 14.7 ± 2.0 | 14.6 ± 1.9 | 0.360 | ||
| Sodium, mmol/L | 137.6 ± 4.7 | 137.9 ± 4.3 | 137.6 ± 4.5 | 137.0 ± 4.9 | 0.004 | ||
| Potassium, mmol/L | 4.4 ± 0.7 | 4.4 ± 0.6 | 4.4 ± 0.6 | 4.4 ± 0.7 | 0.618 | ||
| BUN, mg/dL | 26.7 ± 17.4 | 25.6 ± 15.9 | 26.8 ± 15.8 | 27.1 ± 16.5 | 0.336 | ||
| Creatinine, mg/dL | 1.7 ± 1.9 | 1.6 ± 1.4 | 1.7 ± 1.7 | 1.7 ± 1.7 | 0.593 | ||
| BNP, pg/mL | 667.4 (283.5–1,487.5) | 753.0 (424.8–1,436.5) | 902.1 (478.0–1,627.5) | 1,124.4 (579.5–2,441.5) | < 0.001 | ||
| NT-proBNP, pg/mL | 3,558.0 (1,304.9–9,477.0) | 4,460.0 (2,104.5–1,0314.5) | 4,502.0 (2,078.8–9,860.0) | 4,641.2 (2,441.5–1,1871.0) | 0.074 | ||
| Medication at admission | |||||||
| Beta-blockers | 203 (29.6) | 181 (27.2) | 158 (24.3) | 174 (26.2) | 0.181 | ||
| Renin-angiotensin- system inhibitors | 270 (39.4) | 256 (38.4) | 225 (34.7) | 259 (39.0) | 0.270 | ||
| Mineralocorticoid receptor blockers | 124 (18.1) | 111 (16.7) | 103 (15.9) | 121 (18.2) | 0.617 | ||
| Medication at discharge | |||||||
| Beta-blockers | 317 (46.2) | 354 (53.2) | 317 (48.8) | 341 (51.5) | 0.057 | ||
| Renin-angiotensin- system inhibitors | 441 (64.3) | 470 (70.6) | 442 (68.1) | 467 (70.3) | 0.047 | ||
| Mineralocorticoid receptor blockers | 262 (38.2) | 294 (44.1) | 313 (48.2) | 318 (47.9) | < 0.001 | ||
| Echocardiographic findings | |||||||
| Left ventricular end diastolic diameter, mm | 57.9 ± 10.0 | 60.6 ± 9.5 | 60.9 ± 9.9 | 61.2 ± 9.9 | < 0.001 | ||
| Ejection fraction, % | 39.2 ± 15.5 | 34.6 ± 14.4 | 33.4 ± 14.1 | 30.8 ± 12.9 | < 0.001 | ||
| Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (< 50%) | 485 (73.8) | 546 (84.5) | 536 (85.8) | 583 (91.0) | < 0.001 | ||
Values are presented as mean ± SD, number (%), or median (interquartile range).
QTc, corrected QT; BMI, body mass index; COLD, chronic obstructive lung disease; CKD, chronic kidney disease; ECG, electrocardiogram; NYHA, New York Heart association; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HR, heart rate; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; BNP, B-type natriuretic peptide; NT-proBNP, N-terminal proBNP .