Baseline patient characteristics
| 1995–7 Cohort | 2004–5 Cohort | p Value | |
| N | 552 | 396 | |
| Age (median years) | 76 (90% range 55–89) (n = 552) | 75 (90% range 50–90) (n = 396) | 0.41 |
| Gender (%) | 0.022 | ||
| Men | 298 (54) | 242 (61) | |
| Women | 254 (46) | 154 (39) | |
| Race (%) | 0.015 (white vs others) | ||
| White | 524 (95) | 360 (91) | |
| Asian | 22 (4) | 28 (7) | |
| Black | 5 (1) | 7 (2) | |
| Other | 1 (<1) | 1 (<1) | |
| NYHA (%) | 0.021 (IV vs others) | ||
| II | 44 (8) | 49 (12) | |
| III | 182 (33) | 143 (36) | |
| IV | 326 (59) | 204 (52) | |
| Place of assessment (%) | |||
| Inpatients | 370 (67) | 314 (79) | <0.001 |
| Outpatients | 182 (33) | 82 (21) | |
| Past medical history (%) | |||
| Angina | 159 (29) | 85 (22) | 0.011 |
| MI | 106 (19) | 133 (34) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 225 (41) | 213 (54) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 94 (17) | 85 (21) | 0.17 |
| COPD | 45 (8) | 64 (16) | <0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.1 (SD 5) (n = 163) | 27.3 (SD 6) (n = 383) | 0.75 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mean mm Hg) | 145 (SD 33) (n = 548) | 134 (SD 26) (n = 395) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mean mm Hg) | 84 (SD 19) (n = 546) | 77 (SD 16) (n = 395) | <0.001 |
| Sodium (mean mmol/l) | 138 (SD 5) (n = 549) | 137 (SD 5) (n = 395) | 0.001 |
| Urea (median mmol/l) | 8.0 (90% range 4–22) (n = 478) | 7.3 (90% range 4–17) (n = 395) | <0.001 |
| Creatinine (median μmol/l) | 104 (90% range 68–219) (n = 544) | 104 (90% range 62–233) (n = 393) | 0.31 |
| Haemoglobin (g/dl) | 13.3 (SD 2) (n = 531) | 12.9 (SD 2) (n = 391) | <0.001 |
| QRS duration (mean msec) | 106 (SD 31) (n = 544) | 100 (SD 26) (n = 392) | 0.37 |
| Global LV systolic function (%) | |||
| Normal | 86 (16) | 72 (18) | 0.089 (severe vs non-severe impairment) |
| Mild/moderate impairment | 278 (50) | 198 (50) | |
| Severe impairment | 145 (26) | 124 (31) | |
| Unknown | 43 (8) | 2 (1) | |
| Aetiology (%) | |||
| CAD—acute MI | 96 (17) | 95 (24) | 0.014 (acute MI vs other) |
| CAD—non-acute | 79 (14) | 73 (18) | |
| Hypertension | 61 (11) | 29 (7) | |
| Valve disease | 49 (9) | 38 (10) | |
| Atrial fibrillation | 21 (4) | 50 (13) | |
| Other | 33 (6) | 28 (7) | |
| Unknown | 216 (39) | 83 (21) | |
| Background medication at the time of diagnosis (%) | |||
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 17 (3) | 153 (39) | <0.001 |
| β-blocker | NR | 75 (19) | |
| Aldosterone antagonist | NR | 11 (3) | |
| Discharge medication (%) | |||
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 106 (65)* | 314 (79) | |
| β-blocker | NR | 124 (31) | |
| Aldosterone antagonist | NR | 79 (20) |
*% on an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in patients surviving more than 30 days. ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; CAD, coronary artery disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; LV, left ventricular; MI, myocardial infarction; NR, not reported; NYHA, New York Heart Association.