Table 1.

Baseline Characteristics of the Study Patients

Characteristics	All (n=87)	High HE4 (n=43)	Low HE4 (n=44)	P value
Age, y	60±15	64±15	56±13	0.006
Male sex, n (%)	62 (71)	31 (71)	31 (71)	0.866
NYHA functional class, n (%)
Ⅰ	21 (24)	7 (16)	14 (32)
Ⅱ	44 (51)	19 (44)	25 (57)
Ⅲ	16 (18)	12 (28)	4 (9)
Ⅳ	6 (7)	5 (12)	1 (2)
≥Ⅲ	22 (25)	17 (40)	5 (11)	0.003
Body mass index, kg/m2	23.8±4.2	23.1±4.0	24.5±4.4	0.123
Systolic blood pressure on admission, mm Hg	114±17.2	109±14	118±19	0.012
Hypertension, n (%)	30 (35)	15 (35)	15 (34)	0.938
Diabetes mellitus, n (%)	15 (17)	8 (19)	7 (16)	0.701
Dyslipidemia, n (%)	34 (40)	14 (33)	20 (47)	0.186
Current smoking, n (%)	14 (16)	6 (14)	8 (18)	0.592
Atrial fibrillation, n (%)	22 (25)	14 (33)	8 (18)	0.123
Ventricular tachycardia, n (%)	20 (23)	11 (26)	9 (21)	0.570
Ventricular fibrillation, n (%)	3 (3)	3 (7)	0 (0)	0.075
Prior HF hospitalizations, n (%)	31 (36)	21 (49)	10 (23)	0.011
Laboratory examination parameters
White blood cell, /μL	6387±1938	6319±1885.7	6455±2007.2	0.746
Hemoglobin, g/dL	14.2±2.16	13.6±2.31	14.8±1.83	0.008
hs‐cTnT, ng/mL	0.015 (0.009–0.030)	0.023 (0.015–0.043)	0.011 (0.007–0.016)	0.004
BNP, pg/mL	249.0 (72.7–654.3)	446.0 (194.0–987.1)	134.9 (31.0–480.1)	<0.0001
Albumin, g/dL	3.9±0.5	3.8±0.5	4.1±0.3	<0.0001
Sodium, mEq/L	139±2.6	139±3.1	140±1.7	0.050
Creatinine, mg/dL	0.93±0.27	1.03±0.31	0.84±0.17	0.001
eGFR, mL/min×m2	65±15.4	58±15.9	72±11.4	<0.0001
T‐bil, mg/dL	1.0±0.59	1.1±0.75	0.93±0.37	0.149
CRP, mg/mL	0.13 (0.05–0.36)	0.18 (0.10–0.63)	0.06 (0.03–0.22)	0.003
HbA1c (NGSP), %	5.8±0.7	5.9±0.8	5.7±0.7	0.331
Medications at baseline, n (%)
β‐Blockers on admission	51 (59)	27 (63)	24 (55)	0.435
β‐Blockers on discharge	83 (95)	42 (98)	41 (93)	0.317
ACE‐I or ARB on admission	59 (68)	33 (77)	26 (59)	0.078
ACE‐I or ARB on discharge	84 (97)	43 (100)	41 (93)	0.081
Aldosterone antagonist on admission	34 (39)	23 (54)	11 (25)	0.006
Aldosterone antagonist on discharge	54 (62)	28 (65)	26 (59)	0.563
Diuretics on admission	44 (51)	25 (58)	19 (43)	0.163
Tolvaptan on admission	3 (4)	2 (6)	1 (3)	0.474
Anticoagulant on admission	23 (26)	15 (35)	8 (18)	0.077
Statin on admission	11 (13)	5 (12)	6 (14)	0.778
Amiodarone on admission	11 (13)	8 (19)	3 (7)	0.098
Pimobendane on admission	4 (5)	3 (7)	1 (2)	0.306
ECG parameters
Heart rate, bpm	78±18.5	79±20	76±17	0.514
CLBBB, n (%)	13 (15)	9 (21)	4 (9)	0.121
QRS duration, ms	114.5±29.3	118.9±33.8	110.3±23.7	0.168
Echocardiogram parameters
LVEF, %	33±10.7	30±10.7	35±10.1	0.020
LVEDD, mm	60±8.7	61±9.4	59±8.0	0.339
LVESD, mm	51±10.2	53±11.0	50±9.1	0.162
Intraventricular septal thickness, mm	9.3±1.6	9.4±1.7	9.3±1.5	0.859
LV posterior wall thickness, mm	10.0±1.6	10.1±1.8	9.8±1.4	0.420
LAD, mm	42±8.2	43±8.8	40±7.4	0.114

	All (n=78)	High HE4 (n=39)	Low HE4 (n=39)	P value
Right heart catheterization
Cardiac index, L/min per m2	2.2±0.58	2.13±0.51	2.29±0.65	0.236
Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, mm Hg	15±8.1	16±9.0	14±7.1	0.213
Right atrium pressure, mm Hg	7±3.8	8±4.5	6±3.0	0.148
Mean pulmonary arterial pressure, mm Hg	22±9.9	24±11.2	20±8.2	0.117

	All (n=77)	High HE4 (n=35)	Low HE4 (n=42)	P value
Cardiac magnetic resonance
LGE, n (%)	39 (51)	18 (51)	21 (50)	1.000

Data are number (percentage) of patients, mean±SD, or median (interquartile range). High HE4 group, above median value of HE4 (median, 59.65 pmol/L); low HE4 group, under median value of HE4. ACE‐I indicates angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; BNP, B‐type natriuretic peptide; bpm, beats per minute; CLBBB, complete left bundle‐branch block; CRP, C‐reactive protein; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; HE4, human epididymis protein 4; HF, heart failure; hs‐cTnT, high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T; LAD, left atrium diameter; LGE, late gadolinium enhancement; LV, left ventricular; LVEDD, LV end‐diastolic diameter; LVEF, LV ejection fraction; LVESD, LV end‐systolic diameter; NGSP, National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program; NYHA, New York Heart Association; and T‐bil, total bilirubin.