TABLE 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study participants.
| Variables | Control (n = 22) |
NYHAIII (n = 29) |
NYHAIV (n = 29) |
p |
| Age, years | 76.0 (73.75–80.0) | 77.0 (73.5–83.5) | 79.0 (69.5–86.5) | 0.594 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 22 (100%) | 28 (96.5%) | 27 (93.1%) | 0.775 |
| Hypertension | 13 (59.0%) | 19 (65.5%) | 17 (58.6%) | 0.839 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 0(0.0%) | 18 (62.0%) | 17 (58.6%) | <0.001 |
| Smoking | 4 (18.1%) | 5 (17.2%) | 9 (31.0%) | 0.385 |
| SBP/mmHg | 137.5 (125.25–143.25) | 132 (122.5–143.5) | 128 (117.5–141.0) | 0.504 |
| Heart rate/bpm | 77.5 (73.5–81.5) | 78.0 (69.5–94.5) | 89.0 (81.0–99.0)**△△ | <0.01 |
| WBC/(109⋅L–1) | 5.9 (5.29–7.19) | 5.65 (4.53–8.68) | 5.76 (4.71–8.00) | 0.995 |
| HDL–C/(mmol⋅L–1) | 1.14 (1.03–1.42) | 1.09 (0.93–1.36) | 1.08 (0.80–1.30) | 0.315 |
| LDL–C/(mmol⋅L–1) | 2.45 (1.99–3.01) | 2.41 (1.92–3.18) | 2.20 (1.60–2.60) | 0.214 |
| Triglycerides/ (mmol⋅L–1) | 0.95 (0.70–1.38) | 0.79 (0.62–1.09) | 0.78 (0.64–1.14) | 0.353 |
| Serum creatinine/ (μmol⋅L–1) | 61.5 (52.5–76.5) | 81.0 (68.5–106.5)** | 98.0 (78.5–148.0)** | <0.001 |
| BUN/(mmol⋅L–1) | 4.95 (4.08–6.10) | 6.80 (5.45–7.55)* | 9.70 (8.05–16.0)**△△ | <0.001 |
| ACEI/ARB | 10 (45.4%) | 13 (44.8%) | 9 (31.0%) | 0.466 |
| β blocker | 10 (45.4%) | 18 (62.0%) | 12 (41.3%) | 0.255 |
| Diuretics | 3 (13.6%) | 29 (100%)** | 29 (100%)** | <0.001 |
SBP, systolic blood pressure; WBC, white blood cell; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LDL-C, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; ACEI, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor antagonist. When compared with the control group, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01; when compared with NYHA class III, △△p < 0.01.