Baseline characteristics and drug treatment
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Data are numbers (%) or mean (SD). | |
| ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide. | |
| *World Health Organization classification of dyspnoea (grade 2, dyspnoea when vacuum cleaning or climbing stairs to the second floor; grade 3, when walking on an even road; grade 4, at minimum exertion; grade 5, orthopnoea; grade 6, at rest). | |
| †Geometric mean concentration and 95% confidence interval. | |
| ‡Normal ECG with absence of arrhythmias, ST deviations, Q waves, hypertrophy, and abnormal left ventricular axis according to the Minnesota code. | |
| Demographic data | |
| Male/female | 290 (43%)/382 (57%) |
| Age (years) | |
| 50–59 | 174 (26%) |
| 60–69 | 204 (30%) |
| 70–79 | 174 (26%) |
| ⩾ 80 | 120 (18%) |
| Median (range) | 68.1 (51.2–91.3) |
| Current daily smoker | 237 (35%) |
| Clinical history | |
| Dyspnoea grade* | |
| 2 | 84 (13%) |
| 3 | 51 (8%) |
| 4 | 47 (7%) |
| 5 | 14 (2%) |
| 6 | 23 (3%) |
| Total | 219 (33%) |
| Ankle oedema | 155 (23%) |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 96 (14%) |
| Hypertension | 169 (25%) |
| Angina | 83 (12%) |
| Diabetes mellitus | |
| Insulin treated | 7 (1%) |
| Non-insulin treated | 36 (5%) |
| Measurements | |
| Atrial fibrillation | 24 (4%) |
| Heart rate (beats/min) | 75.4 (13.4) |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 144 (23.2) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 86.6 (12.2) |
| Ejection fraction | |
| ⩽ 50% | 77 (11%) |
| ⩽ 45% | 58 (9%) |
| ⩽ 40% | 38 (6%) |
| ⩽ 35% | 21 (3%) |
| Median (range) | 60 (10–60) |
| NT-proBNP (pmol/l)† | 35.7 (32.8 to 38.9) |
| Abnormal ECG‡ | 197 (30%) |
| Drug treatment | |
| Loop diuretics | 37 (6%) |
| Other diuretics | 82 (12%) |
| ACE inhibitor | 42 (6%) |
| Angiotensin II blocker | 12 (2%) |
| β Blocker | 30 (5%) |
| Calcium antagonist | 39 (6%) |
| Nitrates | 26 (4%) |
| Digitalis | 25 (4%) |
| Aspirin | 112 (17%) |