Table 1.
Baseline characteristics.
| Overall n = 499 | Men (308, 61.7%) | Women (191, 38.3%) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (years) | 81.4 ± 4.3 | 81.0 ± 4.2 | 81.9 ± 4.3 | 0.03 |
| >85 years | 25.9% | 28.3% | 24.3% | 0.33 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.6 ± 4.6 | 27.5 ± 4.1 | 27.7 ± 5.4 | 0.719 |
| Hypertension | 400 (80.3%) | 241 (78.5%) | 159 (83.2%) | 0.238 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 199 (40%) | 125 (40.7%) | 74 (38.7%) | 0.732 |
| Dyslipidaemia | 334 (67.3%) | 210 (68.6%) | 124 (65.3%) | 0.498 |
| Past smoker | 166 (33.4%) | 147 (47.9%) | 19 (10%) | <0.001 |
| Prior stroke | 60 (12.1%) | 38 (12.4%) | 22 (11.5%) | 0.758 |
| Prior peripheral artery disease | 55 (11.0%) | 46 (14.9%) | 9 (4.74%) | 0.001 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 263 (52.7%) | 163 (52.9%) | 100 (52.4%) | 0.975 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 74 (14.8%) | 60 (19.5%) | 14 (7.33%) | <0.001 |
| Chronic renal failure | 210 (42.1%) | 128 (41.6%) | 82 (42.9%) | 0.835 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 42 ± 13 | 40 ± 12 | 46 ± 15 | <0.001 |
| NYHA ≥II | 422 (84.5%) | 255 (82.8%) | 167 (87.4%) | 0.106 |
| Ischemic HF | 161 (48.2%) | 130 (56.8%) | 31 (29.5%) | <0.001 |
| Idiopathic HF | 121 (36.2%) | 70 (30.6%) | 51 (48.6%) | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 123 ± 19 | 122 ± 19 | 126 ± 19 | 0.028 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 69 ± 12 | 69 ± 12 | 71 ± 12 | 0.027 |
| Laboratory findings | ||||
| Hemoglobin (g/dl) | 13.3 ± 1.7 | 13.7 ± 1.8 | 12.7 ± 1.4 | <0.001 |
| Platelet count (× 103/mm3) | 187 ± 54 | 179 ± 50 | 202 ± 59 | <0.001 |
| Leucocytes (× 103/mm3) | 7.1 ± 2.2 | 7.09 ± 2.0 | 7.07 ± 2.4 | 0.916 |
| Lymphocytes (× 103/mm3) | 1.9 ± 1.3 | 1.87 ± 1.1 | 2.01 ± 1.5 | 0.254 |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, ml/min/1.72 m2) | 52.1 ± 17.5 | 53.6 ± 17.4 | 49.6 ± 17.6 | 0.015 |
| Sodium (mEq/L) | 140 (3.1) | 141 (3.1) | 141 (3.1) | 0.501 |
| Potassium (mEq/L) | 4.5 (0.5) | 4.52 (0.5) | 4.48 (0.5) | 0.486 |
| Brain natriuretic peptide NT proBNP (pg/ml) | 2817 ± 3803 | 2940 ± 4032 | 2617 ± 3381 | 0.341 |
| Ultrasensitive troponin (ng/ml) | 26 ± 28 | 28 ± 32 | 20 ± 18 | 0.019 |
| Cholesterol (mg/dl) | 151 ± 35 | 145 ± 33 | 162 ± 36 | <0.001 |
| LDL-cholesterol (mg/dl) | 80 ± 29 | 76 ± 27 | 88 ± 30 | <0.001 |
| Albumin (g/dl) | 4.1 ± 0.4 | 4.1 ± 0.4 | 4.1 ± 0.4 | 0.514 |
| Ferritin (ng/ml) | 194 ± 18 | 200 ± 17 | 184 ± 22 | 0.424 |
| Transferrin (mg/dl) | 232 ± 47 | 229 ± 47 | 237 ± 48 | 0.126 |
| Transferrin saturation (%) | 24 ± 10 | 25 ± 10 | 23 ± 9 | 0.072 |
| Geriatric assessment and comorbidity | ||||
| Comorbidity (Charlson index ≥4) | 95 (19.0%) | 68 (22.1%) | 27 (14.1%) | 0.038 |
| Dependency (Barthel index ≤90) | 96 (19.2%) | 46 (14.9%) | 50 (26.2%) | 0.003 |
| Dependency for daily activities (Lawton-Brody index ≤5) | 183 (36.7%) | 116 (37.7%) | 67 (35.1%) | 0.627 |
| Pfeiffer cognitive test | 1.22 ± 1.7 | 1.01 ± 1.6 | 1.57 ± 1.7 | <0.001 |
| Frailty (clinical frailty scale ≥4) | 73 (14.6%) | 32 (10.4%) | 41 (21.5%) | 0.001 |
| Frailty (FRAIL) | 111 (22.2%) | 47 (15.3%) | 64 (33.5%) | <0.001 |
| Frailty (mobility visual scale ≥2) | 269 (53.9%) | 141 (45.8%) | 128 (67.0%) | <0.001 |
| Frailty (SPPB ≤9) | 372 (74.5%) | 211 (68.5%) | 161 (84.3%) | <0.001 |
| Nutrition status (MNA-SF ≤11) | 235 (47.1%) | 130 (42.2%) | 105 (55.0%) | 0.007 |
| Yesavage test | ||||
| (v-15) | 133 (26.6%) | 59 (19.2%) | 74 (38.7%) | <0.001 |
| (v-5) | 201 (40.3%) | 101 (32.8%) | 100 (52.4%) | |
| Self-reported quality of life (0–10) | 6.8 ± 2 | 6.94 ± 1.91 | 6.47 ± 2.08 | 0.012 |
| Average prescribed drugs | 9.6 ± 3.2 | 9.6 ± 3.2 | 9.6 ± 3.3 | 0.93 |