Table 2.
HF Patient Characteristics
| Control group | Intervention group | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 61 | 75 | |
| Age (years) | 81±11 | 79±11 | 0.423 |
| Male | 17 (28) | 35 (47) | 0.033 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.2±4.5 | 22.8±5.0 | 0.504 |
| Vital signs | |||
| Heart rate (beats/min) | 75±13 | 72±11 | 0.522 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 116±14 | 118±11 | 0.677 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 68±10 | 66±11 | 0.660 |
| NYHA class (II/III/IV) | 39/15/7 | 52/16/7 | 0.797 |
| Etiology of HF | |||
| Ischemic heart disease | 13 (21) | 19 (25) | 0.686 |
| HTD | 22 (36) | 23 (31) | 0.584 |
| DCM | 0 (0) | 6 (8) | 0.033 |
| Valvular heart disease | 9 (15) | 9 (12) | 0.800 |
| Others | 17 (28) | 18 (24) | 0.608 |
| HFpEF | 36 (68) | 49 (66) | 0.840 |
| Medical history | |||
| Hypertension | 34 (56) | 45 (60) | 0.616 |
| Diabetes | 17 (28) | 24 (32) | 0.708 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 14 (23) | 12 (16) | 0.382 |
| COPD | 3 (5) | 5 (7) | 0.731 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 27 (44) | 33 (44) | 0.976 |
| Stroke | 17 (28) | 14 (19) | 0.223 |
| Dementia | 7 (11) | 14 (19) | 0.341 |
| Prior hospitalization due to HF | 36 (59) | 34 (45) | 0.124 |
| Laboratory data | |||
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 11.0±2.0 | 11.4±2.0 | 0.249 |
| Total protein (g/dL) | 6.2±0.7 | 6.1±0.7 | 0.871 |
| Serum albumin (g/dL) | 3.2±0.5 | 3.3±0.6 | 0.641 |
| Serum sodium (mEq/L) | 139±4 | 140±4 | 0.080 |
| BUN (mg/dL) | 31.9±20.6 | 25.9±15.8 | 0.059 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.45±1.32 | 1.28±1.40 | 0.465 |
| eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) | 49.4±30.8 | 53.4±30.3 | 0.442 |
| NT-proBNP (pg/mL) | 2,098 (1,070–4,688) | 1,597 (476–4,115) | 0.960 |
| LVEF (%) | 55±13 | 54±13 | 0.740 |
| Medication | |||
| ACEI or ARB | 11 (18) | 24 (32) | 0.076 |
| β-blocker | 20 (33) | 35 (47) | 0.113 |
| Diuretics | 50 (82) | 49 (66) | 0.051 |
Data given as mean±SD, median (IQR), or n (%). ACEI, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blockers; BMI, body mass index; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DCM, dilated cardiomyopathy; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HFpEF, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; HTD, hypertensive heart disease; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; NYHA, New York Heart Association. Other abbreviations as in Table 1.