Baseline characteristics
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | P values | |
| BNP<100 pg/mL | 100≤BNP<200 pg/mL | 200≤BNP<300 pg/mL | BNP≥300 pg/mL | ||
| (n=201) | (n=94) | (n=42) | (n=50) | ||
| Clinical characteristics | |||||
| Age, years | 75.6±8.9 | 80.0±8.4 | 83.6±8.1 | 83.7±8.3 | <0.001 |
| Age≥80 years | 71 (35) | 47 (50) | 33 (79) | 37 (74) | <0.001 |
| Male | 78 (39) | 40 (43) | 15 (36) | 19 (38) | 0.87 |
| BMI<22 kg/m2 | 103 (51) | 49 (52) | 24 (57) | 38 (76) | 0.02 |
| BSA, m2 | 1.50±0.18 | 1.49±0.21 | 1.46±0.20 | 1.40±0.19 | 0.03 |
| Hypertension | 141 (70) | 63 (67) | 29 (69) | 38 (76) | 0.74 |
| Current smoking | 11 (5.5) | 2 (2.1) | 2 (4.8) | 1 (2.0) | 0.48 |
| Dyslipidemia | 92 (46) | 33 (35) | 15 (36) | 18 (36) | 0.24 |
| On statin therapy | 64 (32) | 25 (27) | 12 (29) | 14 (28) | 0.81 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 42 (21) | 27 (29) | 8 (19) | 11 (22) | 0.45 |
| On insulin therapy | 9 (4.5) | 6 (6.4) | 7 (17) | 0 (0) | 0.004 |
| Prior myocardial infarction | 10 (5.0) | 6 (6.4) | 5 (12) | 7 (14) | 0.09 |
| Prior PCI | 23 (11) | 16 (17) | 8 (19) | 9 (18) | 0.36 |
| Prior CABG | 9 (4.5) | 6 (6.4) | 1 (2.4) | 1 (2.0) | 0.58 |
| Prior open heart surgery | 25 (12) | 8 (8.5) | 1 (2.4) | 2 (4.0) | 0.09 |
| Prior symptomatic stroke | 20 (10) | 18 (19) | 11 (26) | 14 (28) | 0.002 |
| Atrial fibrillation or flutter | 27 (13) | 33 (35) | 16 (38) | 17 (34) | <0.001 |
| Aortic/peripheral vascular disease | 12 (6.0) | 7 (7.5) | 2 (4.8) | 4 (8.0) | 0.89 |
| Serum creatinine, mg/dL | 0.7 (0.6–0.9) | 0.8 (0.7–1.1) | 0.9 (0.7–1.1) | 1.1 (0.7–1.4) | <0.001 |
| Anaemia | 86 (43) | 55 (59) | 27 (64) | 34 (68) | 0.001 |
| Liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh B or C) | 1 (0.5) | 2 (2.1) | 0 (0) | 2 (4.0) | 0.18 |
| Malignancy currently under treatment | 8 (4.0) | 7 (7.5) | 5 (12) | 4 (8.0) | 0.21 |
| Chronic lung disease (moderate or severe) | 11 (5.5) | 1 (1.1) | 2 (4.8) | 1 (2.0) | 0.27 |
| Coronary artery disease | 49 (24) | 31 (33) | 12 (29) | 12 (24) | 0.44 |
| Logistic EuroSCORE, % | 7.5 (5.0–10.7) | 8.5 (5.5–14.6) | 10.1 (8.0–16.3) | 15.1 (7.7–23.7) | <0.001 |
| EuroSCORE II, % | 1.9 (1.2–2.9) | 2.7 (1.6–3.8) | 3.2 (2.6–4.4) | 3.7 (2.5–4.9) | <0.001 |
| STS score (PROM), % | 2.7 (1.7–3.9) | 3.4 (2.1–5.2) | 4.4 (2.9–6.0) | 4.3 (3.1–7.1) | <0.001 |
| Aetiology of aortic stenosis | 0.31 | ||||
| Degenerative | 170 (85) | 84 (89) | 40 (95) | 47 (94) | |
| Congenital | 19 (9.5) | 5 (5.3) | 1 (2.4) | 1 (2.0) | |
| Rheumatic | 11 (5.5) | 5 (5.3) | 1 (2.4) | 1 (2.0) | |
| Other | 1 (0.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.0) | |
| BNP, pg/mL | 49 (32–68) | 142 (122–164) | 244 (221–267) | 543 (384–684) | <0.001 |
| Echocardiographic variables | |||||
| Vmax, m/s | 3.8±0.6 | 3.8±0.7 | 3.8±0.7 | 3.7±0.7 | 0.66 |
| Peak aortic PG, mm Hg | 58±17 | 60±20 | 60±22 | 56±20 | 0.57 |
| Mean aortic PG, mm Hg | 33±10 | 35±13 | 32±13 | 32±12 | 0.32 |
| AVA (equation of continuity), cm2 | 0.84±0.14 | 0.78±0.14 | 0.76±0.17 | 0.77±0.17 | <0.001 |
| AVA index, cm2/m2 | 0.57±0.10 | 0.53±0.10 | 0.54±0.13 | 0.56±0.15 | 0.06 |
| LV end-diastolic diameter, mm | 44±6 | 45±6 | 45±6 | 45±5 | 0.85 |
| LV end-systolic diameter, mm | 27±5 | 28±5 | 28±5 | 30±5 | 0.02 |
| LVEF, % | 69±8 | 67±9 | 68±8 | 65±8 | 0.007 |
| IVST in diastole, mm | 11±2 | 11±2 | 12±2 | 11±3 | 0.006 |
| PWT in diastole, mm | 10±2 | 11±2 | 11±2 | 10±3 | 0.09 |
| LV mass, g | 166±51 | 179±52 | 187±58 | 176±59 | 0.052 |
| Any combined valvular disease (moderate or severe) | 39 (19) | 37 (39) | 19 (45) | 25 (50) | <0.001 |
| Moderate or severe AR | 23 (11) | 16 (17) | 6 (14) | 15 (30) | 0.01 |
| Moderate or severe MS | 2 (1.0) | 6 (6.4) | 2 (4.8) | 2 (4.0) | 0.08 |
| Moderate or severe MR | 5 (2.5) | 12 (13) | 9 (21) | 12 (24) | <0.001 |
| Moderate or severe TR | 14 (7.0) | 17 (18) | 8 (19) | 15 (30) | <0.001 |
| TR pressure gradient≥40 mm Hg | 13 (6.5) | 13 (14) | 5 (12) | 14 (28) | <0.001 |
We presented the categorical variables as number (%), and the continuous variables as mean±SD, or median with IQR.
AR, aortic regurgitation; AVA, aortic valve area; BMI, body mass index; BNP, B-type natriuretic peptide; BSA, body surface area; CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting; IVST, interventricular septum thickness; LV, left ventricular; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; MR, mitral regurgitation; MS, mitral stenosis; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention; PG, pressure gradient; PROM, predicted risk of mortality; PWT, posterior wall thickness; STS, Society of Thoracic Surgeons; TR, tricuspid regurgitation; Vmax, peak aortic jet velocity.