Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study patients
| Variable | Overall (n = 109) | PDE5I (n = 75) | No PDE5I (n = 34) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 56 ± 11 | 53 ± 13 | 57 ± 10 | 0.08 |
| Male, n (%) | 93 (85) | 66 (88) | 27 (79) | 0.24 |
| NYHA class | ||||
| III, n (%) | 19 (17) | 13 (17) | 6 (18) | 0.97 |
| IV, n (%) | 90 (83) | 62 (83) | 28 (82) | |
| INTERMACS profile category | ||||
| 1, n (%) | 23 (21) | 14 (19) | 9 (27) | 0.36 |
| 2, n (%) | 12 (11) | 7 (9) | 5 (15) | 0.41 |
| 3, n (%) | 22 (20) | 16 (21) | 6 (18) | 0.66 |
| 4, n (%) | 33 (30) | 24 (22) | 9 (27) | 0.56 |
| ≥5, n (%) | 19 (17) | 14 (19) | 5 (15) | 0.70 |
| Mean INTERMACS profile | 3.2 ± 1.5 | 3.3 ± 1.5 | 2.9 ± 1.5 | 0.18 |
| Indication | ||||
| BTT/BTR, n (%) | 57 (52) | 39 (52) | 18 (53) | 0.93 |
| DT, n (%) | 52 (48) | 36 (48) | 16 (47) | |
| HF aetiology | ||||
| IHD, n (%) | 55 (50) | 42 (56) | 13 (38) | 0.09 |
| Cardiomyopathy, n (%) | 54 (50) | 33 (44) | 21 (62) | |
| Device type | ||||
| HeartWare HVAD | 98 (90) | 67 (89) | 31 (91) | 0.77 |
| HeartMate 3 | 11 (10) | 8 (11) | 3 (9) | |
| LVEF (%) | 17.1 ± 6.2 | 17.5 ± 6.1 | 16 ± 6.5 | 0.24 |
| BMI (kg/m 2 ) | 26.5 ± 5.6 | 27.2 ± 5.8 | 25.0 ± 4.9 | 0.08 |
| BSA (m 2 ) | 2.0 ± 0.2 | 2.0 ± 0.2 | 1.9 ± 0.2 | 0.09 |
| CI (L/min/m 2 ) | 1.9 ± 0.4 | 1.9 ± 0.4 | 1.9 ± 0.5 | 0.87 |
| mPAP (mmHg) | 31 ± 11 | 33 ± 11 | 29 ± 13 | 0.24 |
| PVR (WU) a | 3.3 (2.7) | 3.4 (2.9) | 3.2 (2.0) | 0.67 |
| ACEI/ARB, n (%) | 65 (60) | 46 (61) | 19 (56) | 0.59 |
| Post‐implant RVF, n (%) | 74 (68) | 53 (71) | 21 (62) | 0.36 |
| Co‐morbidities | ||||
| CKD, n (%) | 38 (35) | 24 (32) | 14 (41) | 0.35 |
| DM, n (%) | 29 (27) | 18 (24) | 11 (32) | 0.36 |
| PAD, n (%) | 9 (8) | 6 (8) | 3 (9) | 0.89 |
| COPD, n (%) | 22 (20) | 14 (19) | 8 (24) | 0.56 |
| HTN, n (%) | 65 (60) | 45 (60) | 20 (59) | 0.91 |
| AF, n (%) | 44 (40) | 31 (41) | 13 (38) | 0.76 |
| Stroke, n (%) | 23 (21) | 17 (23) | 6 (18) | 0.55 |
| Prior bleeding, n (%) | 37 (34) | 30 (40) | 7 (21) | 0.05 |
ACEI, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor; AF, atrial fibrillation; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; BMI, body mass index; BSA, body surface area; BTR, bridge to recovery; BTT, bridge to transplant; CI, cardiac index; CKD, chronic kidney disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DM, diabetes mellitus; DT, destination therapy; HF, heart failure; HTN, hypertension; IHD, ischaemic heart disease; INTERMACS, Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; mPAP, mean pulmonary artery pressure; NYHA, New York Heart Association; PAD, peripheral arterial disease; PDE5I, phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitor; PVR, pulmonary vascular resistance; RVF, right ventricular failure; WU, Wood units.
The values presented indicate mean (inter‐quartile range).