TABLE 1.
Clinical variables and medication
| Variable | All patients | BW‐stable | Cachexia | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 52 | n = 35 | n = 17 | ||
| Age | 54 ± 11 | 55 ± 10 | 52 ± 14 | 0.725 |
| Gender (M; %) | 83 | 86 | 76 | 0.409 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 25 ± 4 | 26 ± 4 | 22 ± 3 | <0.001 |
| Body weight (BW) change (%) | −4.8 ± 6.1 | −1.3 ± 3.3 | −11.9 ± 4.1 | <0.001 |
| NYHA class (1–4) | 3.4 ± 0.5 | 3.3 ± 0.5 | 3.6 ± 0.5 | 0.031 |
| Non‐ischemic HF (%) | 65 | 57 | 82 | 0.073 |
| HF duration (years) | 5.2 ± 4.1 | 5.4 ± 3.9 | 4.7 ± 4.4 | 0.556 |
| Inotrope therapy (prior Tx; %) | 21 | 14 | 35 | 0.082 |
| Atrial fibrillation on ECG (%) | 30 | 28 | 32 | 0.499 |
| Echocardiography | ||||
| LV ejection fraction (%) | 21 ± 6 | 21 ± 7 | 19 ± 5 | 0.302 |
| LV end‐diastolic diameter (mm) | 74 ± 10 | 72 ± 9 | 73 ± 12 | 0.794 |
| Mitral regurgitation (0–4) | 2.4 ± 1.1 | 2.3 ± 1.1 | 2.6 ± 1.1 | 0.307 |
| Left atrial volume index (mL/m2) | 74 ± 30 | 69 ± 29 | 79 ± 32 | 0.220 |
| Right atrial area (cm2) | 25 ± 8 | 25 ± 7 | 26 ± 9 | 0.904 |
| Tricuspid regurgitation (grade 0–4) | 2.1 ± 0.9 | 2.0 ± 1.0 | 2.1 ± 0.9 | 0.751 |
| RV diastolic diameter (mm) | 46 ± 8 | 45 ± 8 | 47 ± 9 | 0.407 |
| RV dysfunction grade (0–4) | 1.6 ± 1.0 | 1.7 ± 1.0 | 1.4 ± 0.9 | 0.403 |
| TAPSE (mm) | 14 ± 5 | 14 ± 5 | 14 ± 4 | 0.736 |
| Epicardial fat thickness (mm) | 2.6 ± 1.3 | 2.9 ± 1.4 | 2.1 ± 0.8 | 0.010 |
| Haemodynamics | ||||
| Heart rate (bpm) | 77 ± 13 | 77 ± 13 | 77 ± 13 | 0.710 |
| Mean blood pressure (mmHg) | 85 ± 10 | 88 ± 10 | 79 ± 7 | 0.130 |
| Cardiac output (L/min) | 3.5 ± 0.8 | 3.7 ± 0.7 | 3.2 ± 1.0 | 0.131 |
| Right atrial pressure (mmHg) | 9.4 ± 4.4 | 10.1 ± 4.9 | 8.1 ± 3.4 | 0.043 |
| PA mean pressure (mmHg) | 33 ± 9 | 34 ± 10 | 32 ± 8 | 0.384 |
| PA wedge pressure (mmHg) | 24 ± 8 | 24 ± 8 | 23 ± 7 | 0.563 |
| Medication | ||||
| Furosemide (mg/day) | 168 ± 164 | 155 ± 125 | 193 ± 226 | 0.534 |
| a β‐blockers (mg/day) | 40 ± 50 | 50 ± 56 | 20 ± 25 | 0.011 |
| a ACE/ARB‐inhibitors (mg/day) | 1.4 ± 2.0 | 1.7 ± 2.1 | 0.7 ± 1.3 | 0.035 |
β‐blockers, dose in metoprolol equivalents, ACE/ARB‐inhibitors, dose of angiotensin‐converting‐enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers in ramipril equivalents (Materials and methods); LV, left ventricular, RV, right ventricle; NYHA, New York Heart Association functional class; TAPSE, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion; Tx, transplantation; PA, pulmonary artery.
Data are shown for all the patients, or two subgroups of the patients split based on their BW trajectories during the previous 6 months (BW‐stable vs. Cachexia). Data are means ± SD. Bold, statistical significant difference.
Eight out of 52 patients received neither β‐blockers nor ACE/ARB‐inhibitors, and 34 patients received a combination of the two.