Characteristics of all patients by age, sex and admission ward
| Variable | Missing data* | Overall | Women <75 years | Men <75 years | Women ≥75 years | Men ≥75 years | Cardiology | General medicine | Other |
| Numbers of patients | 6150 | 764 (12%) | 1626 (26%) | 1868 (30%) | 1892 (31%) | 2738 (45%) | 2813 (46%) | 599 (10%) | |
| Women | NA | 2632 (43%) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 975 (36%) | 1372 (50%) | 289 (48%) |
| Age (years) | NA | 78 (70–85) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 73 (65–82) | 81 (73–87) | 82 (72–87) |
| Women ≥75 years | 1868 (30%) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 600 (22%) | 1044 (37%) | 224 (37%) | |
| Men ≥75 years | 1892 (31%) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 805 (29%) | 893 (32%) | 194 (32%) | |
| Admission ward | |||||||||
| Cardiology | NA | 2738 (44%) | 375 (49%) | 958 (59%) | 600 (32%) | 805 (43%) | NA | NA | NA |
| General medicine | 2813 (46%) | 324 (42%) | 552 (34%) | 1044 (56%) | 893 (47%) | NA | NA | NA | |
| Other | 599 (10%) | 65 (9%) | 224 (14%) | 116 (6%) | 194 (10%) | NA | NA | NA | |
| Tests done | |||||||||
| Sinus rhythm on ECG | 535 (9%) | 2462 (40%) | 411 (54%) | 741 (46%) | 691 (37%) | 619 (33%) | 1177 (43%) | 1058 (38%) | 227 (38%) |
| Atrial fibrillation on ECG | 2269 (37%) | 195 (25%) | 524 (32%) | 778 (42%) | 772 (41%) | 973 (36%) | 1054 (37%) | 242 (40%) | |
| Echocardiogram done | 465 (8%) | 4627 (75%) | 599 (78%) | 1393 (83%) | 1230 (66%) | 1405 (74%) | 2396 (88%) | 1826 (65%) | 405 (68%) |
| LVEF <40% | 465 (8%) | 3590 (78% of echocardiograms) | 466 (78%) | 1216 (87%) | 776 (63%) | 1132 (81%) | 2016 (84%) | 1293 (71%) | 281 (69%) |
| Diagnosis confirmed | 357 (6%) | 5118 (83%) | 623 (81%) | 1411 (87%) | 1510 (81%) | 1574 (83%) | 2336 (85%) | 2300 (82%) | 482 (80%) |
| Diagnosis refuted | 675 (11%) | 43 (6%) | 71 (9%) | 124 (7%) | 119 (11%) | 277 (10%) | 339 (12%) | 58 (10%) | |
| Aetiology | |||||||||
| IHD | 439 (7%) | 2932 (48%) | 287 (38%) | 790 (49%) | 791 (42%) | 1064 (56%) | 1380 (50%) | 1286 (46%) | 266 (44%) |
| Prior MI | 489 (8%) | 2024 (33%) | 206 (27%) | 582 (36%) | 499 (27%) | 737 (39%) | 1028 (38%) | 836 (30%) | 160 (27%) |
| Valve disease | 696 (11%) | 1137 (18%) | 139 (18%) | 234 (14%) | 383 (20%) | 381 (20%) | 506 (19%) | 521 (18%) | 110 (18%) |
| Hypertension | 469 (8%) | 2899 (47%) | 365 (48%) | 687 (42%) | 969 (52%) | 878 (46%) | 1216 (44%) | 1382 (49%) | 301 (50%) |
| Diabetes | 262 (4%) | 1646 (27%) | 264 (35%) | 508 (31%) | 389 (21%) | 485 (26%) | 726 (27%) | 763 (27%) | 157 (26%) |
| Symptoms | |||||||||
| Breathless at rest or minor activity | 607 (10%) | 1853 (30%) | 241 (32%) | 425 (26%) | 626 (33%) | 561 (30%) | 755 (28%) | 939 (33%) | 159 (27%) |
| Breathless markedly limiting activity | 2444 (40%) | 293 (38%) | 686 (42%) | 683 (37%) | 782 (41%) | 1071 (39%) | 1154 (41%) | 219 (37%) | |
| Moderate or severe oedema | 753 (12%) | 2636 (43%) | 309 (40%) | 671 (41%) | 779 (42%) | 839 (44%) | 1067 (39%) | 1303 (46%) | 266 (44%) |
Data are median and IQR or numbers and percentages of the population for age and sex.
↵* Excluding six patients in whom sex was not recorded (all <75 years), eight in whom age was not recorded (four women, four men) and six in whom admission ward was not recorded).
IHD, ischaemic heart disease; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; MI, myocardial infarction; NA, not applicable.