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. 2021 Feb 1;10(3):504. doi: 10.3390/jcm10030504

Table 1.

Characteristics of the study population and comparison between both groups.

Total (N = 78) IL-6 Normal (N = 36) IL-6 High (N = 42) p
Baseline characteristics
Age in years—median (SD) 79.2 ± 6.6 78.5 ± 5.3 79.8 ± 7.5 0.374 a
Sex female—n (%) 46 (59) 21 (58.3) 25 (59.5) 0.915 b
Smoking 4 (5.1) 2 (5.6) 2 (4.8) 0.874 b
Sedentary 48 (61.5) 21 (58.3) 27 (64.3) 0.590 b
Underlying cardiomyopathy
Hypertensive cardiomyopathy 32 (41.1) 17 (47.2) 15 (35.7) 0.303 b
Ischemic cardiomyopathy 17 (21.8) 5 (13.9) 12(28.6) 0.117 b
Valvulopathy 20 (25.6) 10 (27.8) 10 (23.8) 0.689 b
Nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy 6 (7.7) 3 (8.3) 3 (7.1) 0.844 b
Cor pulmonale 3 (3.8) 1 (2.8) 2 (4,8) 0.65 b
Comorbidities
Arterial hypertension 78(100) 36 (46) 42 (54) 0.521 b
Diabetes mellitus 42 (53.8) 15 (41.7) 27 (64.3) 0.046 b
Hypercholesterolemia 51 (65.4) 19 (52.8) 32 (76.2) 0.030 b
Metabolic syndrome 24 (30.8) 8 (22.2) 16 (38.1) 0.130 b
Atrial fibrillation 56 (71.8) 30 (83.3) 26 (61.9) 0.036 b
Chronic renal failure 31 (39.7) 15 (41.7) 16 (38.1) 0.748 b
Anemia 31 (39.7) 9 (25) 22 (52.4) 0.014 b
Obesity (BMI >30) 17 (21.8) 9 (25) 8 (19) 0.526 b
Functional evaluation
Pfeiffer Test
0-2 mistakes 73 (93.6) 33 (91.7) 40 (95.2) 0.465 b
>2 mistakes 5 (6.4) 3 (8.3) 2 (4.8)
Nutritional evaluation (MNA Test)
Normal (≥24 points) 52 (66.7) 25 (75.8) 27 (67.5) 0.438 b
At risk of malnutrition or established malnutrition (<24 points) 21 (26.9) 8 (24.2) 13 (32.5)
Frailty (Barber >1) 71 (91) 32 (88.9) 39 (92.9) 0.541 b
Echocardiographic parameters
Left ventricular hypertrophy 47 (60.3) 21 (58.3) 26 (61.9) 0.648 b
Preserved LVEF (≥50%) 50 (64.1) 20 (55.6) 30 (71.4) 0.145b
Reduced LVEF (<50%) 28(35.8) 16 (44.4) 12 (28.6) 0.163 d
Vital parameters
SBP (mmHg) 136 ± 21 136 ± 19 135 ± 23 0.230
DBP (mmHg) 68 ± 10 70 ± 9 66 ± 10 0.697
Heart rate (beats/min) 78 ± 16 77 ± 17 78 ± 16 0.582
Blood results
Hemoglobin (g/dl) 12.7 ± 1.9 13.2 ± 2.3 12.3 ±2.1 <0.001
Ferritin (ng/mL) 175 ± 289 147 ± 223 194 ± 322 0.108 c
Creatinine (mg/dl) 1.28 ± 0.65 1.08 ± 0.57 1.35 ± 0.69 0.024
CKD-EPI glomerular filtration rate (mL/min/m2) 46 ± 26 59.95 ± 35 43.6 ± 19 0.007
Microalbuminuria (mg/L) 16.9 ± 60.7 15.9 ± 25.8 17.6 ± 99 0.451 c
HbA1c (%) 6 ± 1 6 ± 1 6.3 ± 1 0.108 c
NT-ProBNP (pg/mL) 1613 ± 2297 1244 ± 2780 1990 ± 4019 0.061 c
Usual treatment
Beta Blockers 52 (66.7) 21 (58.3) 31 (73.8) 0.148 b
Furosemide 65 (83.3) 31 (86.1) 34 (81) 0.542 b
Chlorthalidone 6 (7.7) 5 (13.9) 1 (2.4) 0.057 b
Spironolactone/Eplerenone 33 (42.3) 13 (36.1) 20 (47.6) 0.305 b
ACE inhibitors/Angiotensin II Antagonist 23 (29.5) 13 (36.1) 10 (23.8) 0.235 b
Statins 52 (66.7) 23 (63.9) 29 (69) 0.63 b
Anticoagulation 56 (71.8) 31 (86.1) 25 (59.5) 0.009 b
Follow-up
Event (combined) 40 (51.3) 15 (41.7) 25 (59.5) 0.116 b
HF hospitalization 25 (32.1) 8 (22.2) 17 (40.5) 0.069d
Visit to ED for HF 13 (16.7) 4 (11.1) 9 (21.4) 0.223 b
Visit to Day Care Hospital for HF 11 (14.1) 6 (16.7) 5 (11.9) 0.547 b
Mortality from any cause 8 (10.3) 1 (2.8) 7 (16.7) 0.044 b

BMI: body mass index; MNA: Mini nutritional assessment; LVEF: left ventricular ejection fraction; SBP: Systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; HbA1c: Glycosylated hemoglobin; NT-ProBNP: N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide; ACE inhibitors: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; HF: heart failure; ED: Emergency department. Data presented as mean and standard deviation (SD), median and interquartile range (QR), or number (percentage). Median and standard deviation (SD): age, SBP, DBP; median and interquartile range (QR): Ferritin, Microalbuminuria, HbA1c, ProBNP. Student’s T test was used to compare quantitative variables between independent groups (parametric variables tended to normality). Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare quantitative variables between independent groups (parametric variables do not tend to normality). Chi-squared and Fisher test were used to compare qualitative variables. a T Student; b Chi squared; c Mann–Whitney U test, and d Fisher test.