Table 2

Median times from symptom to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence elements (echocardiogram/ natriuretic peptide (NP) test and specialist referral), diagnosis and heart failure (HF) medication: overall and by patient factors

Variable	Levels	Time from symptom to echocardiogram/NP test			Time from symptom to specialist referral			Time from symptom to diagnosis			Time from symptom to HF medication
Variable	Levels	N	Median (IQR)	WMW test	N	Median (IQR)	WMW test	N	Median (IQR)	WMW test	N	Median (IQR)	WMW test
Overall		6464	292 (34–844)		6043	236 (42–721)		8913	972 (337–1468)		8913	803 (230–1364)
Sex	Male	3290	265 (28–841)	0.064	3234	210 (35–704)	0.001	4586	882 (258–1417)	<0.001	4586	710 (168–1305)	<0.001
Sex	Female	3174	307 (41–847)		2809	262 (50–736)		4327	1052 (436–1505)		4327	889 (310–1422)
Age group (years)	<45	93	343 (42–714)	<0.001	125	279 (31–746)	<0.001	155	673 (239–1238)	<0.001	155	615 (189–1190)	<0.001
	45–64	971	335 (48–935)		1028	210 (39–751)		1402	933 (293–1431)		1402	774 (182–1344)
	65–74	1806	353 (47–944)		1715	267 (45–827)		2413	1063 (374–1528)		2413	880 (257–1437)
	75–84	2520	297 (35–844)		2301	245 (46–708)		3455	1044 (414–1495)		3455	862 (285–1389)
	85+	1074	138 (13–619)		874	180 (33–573)		1488	750 (227–1312)		1488	611 (144–1176)
IMD quintile	1 (least)	1338	242 (24–773)	0.003	1314	218 (36–677)	0.001	1854	929 (319–1446)	0.001	1854	746 (223–1333)	<0.001
	2	1570	259 (28–824)		1457	203 (39–684)		2144	945 (293–1433)		2144	754 (186–1325)
	3	1348	295 (34–883)		1236	241 (42–721)		1860	981 (315–1483)		1860	803 (219–1372)
	4	1195	331 (37–877)		1083	246 (48–751)		1643	996 (361–1468)		1643	847 (257–1369)
	5 (most)	1013	357 (52–850)		953	320 (54–808)		1412	1045 (484–1505)		1412	890 (295–1423)
Diagnosis source	Primary care	2601	323 (30–1007)	<0.001	1845	230 (36–815)	0.298	2979	653 (105–1316)	<0.001	2979	509 (82–1204)	<0.001
Diagnosis source	Hospital	3863	266 (36–768)		4198	238 (45–692)		5934	1091 (524–1513)		5934	916 (364–1417)
Comorbidity count	0	1089	232 (31–883)	0.892	972	255 (42–838)	<0.001	1464	870 (204–1424)	<0.001	1464	700 (135–1314)	<0.001
	1	1662	301 (29–878)		1449	300 (49–827)		2215	970 (329–1475)		2215	811 (216–1380)
	2	1608	292 (34–809)		1446	249 (43–731)		2185	999 (386–1477)		2185	830 (259–1383)
	3	1104	307 (42–840)		1118	199 (37–642)		1580	1003 (382–1490)		1580	809 (274–1371)
	4+	1001	307 (39–780)		1058	167 (41–589)		1469	977 (398–1451)		1469	819 (283–1344)
History of comorbidity
Atrial fibrillation	No	5156	320 (41–890)	<0.001	4669	289 (52–794)	<0.001	6996	1014 (393–1487)	<0.001	6996	850 (266–1391)	<0.001
Atrial fibrillation	Yes	1308	169 (18–651)		1374	110 (23–442)		1917	781 (208–1364)		1917	625 (124–1228)
Other arrhythmias	No	5812	297 (35–853)	0.012	5256	256 (44–761)	<0.001	7895	984 (343–1470)	0.013	7895	823 (237–1372)	<0.001
Other arrhythmias	Yes	652	236 (27–716)		787	129 (28–455)		1018	876 (287–1419)		1018	690 (183–1294)
Coronary artery disease	No	4932	264 (29–837)	<0.001	4350	253 (42–771)	<0.001	6639	939 (298–1447)	<0.001	6639	767 (192–1346)	<0.001
Coronary artery disease	Yes	1532	350 (52–884)		1693	198 (42–636)		2274	1084 (458–1520)		2274	890 (336–1403)
Congenital heart disease	No	6435	293 (34–844)	0.162	5995	238 (42–723)	0.013	8857	973 (337–1468)	0.444	8857	805 (229–1364)	0.805
Congenital heart disease	Yes	29	135 (40–389)		48	103 (20–314)		56	672 (291–1443)		56	619 (271–1371)
Chronic pulmonary disease	No	5013	215 (23–780)	<0.001	4682	195 (35–679)	<0.001	6879	888 (250–1426)	<0.001	6879	707 (162–1312)	<0.001
Chronic pulmonary disease	Yes	1451	518 (149–1024)		1361	386 (94–840)		2034	1189 (671–1559)		2034	1052 (546–1498)
Diabetes	No	5184	298 (35–857)	0.077	4835	239 (43–733)	0.115	7140	984 (337–1472)	0.149	7140	810 (229–1368)	0.243
Diabetes	Yes	1280	250 (32–798)		1208	226 (37–690)		1773	930 (335–1449)		1773	775 (232–1343)
Hypertension	No	2636	297 (35–873)	0.243	2524	247 (42–779)	0.173	3678	941 (295–1456)	0.005	3678	776 (189–1347)	0.002
Hypertension	Yes	3828	288 (32–820)		3519	228 (42–687)		5235	991 (378–1479)		5235	816 (263–1372)
Myocardial infarction	No	6146	288 (34–840)	0.344	5677	242 (42–728)	0.004	8429	969 (337–1468)	0.827	8429	803 (230–1365)	0.707
Myocardial infarction	Yes	318	340 (30–1007)		366	155 (35–644)		484	1039 (346–1475)		484	809 (224–1320)
Myocarditis	No	6422	293 (34–846)	0.002	5997	238 (42–723)	0.014	8852	974 (338–1468)	0.057	8852	804 (230–1365)	0.201
Myocarditis	Yes	42	115 (0–363)		46	117 (22–294)		61	754 (279–1323)		61	637 (259–1307)
Peripheral vascular disease	No	5992	294 (35–851)	0.147	5571	238 (42–731)	0.560	8235	973 (338–1470)	0.209	8235	804 (231–1367)	0.258
Peripheral vascular disease	Yes	472	269 (28–743)		472	205 (50–636)		678	938 (326–1425)		678	790 (195–1317)
Renal disease	No	5013	303 (34–878)	0.003	4696	250 (43–749)	<0.001	6903	988 (331–1491)	0.004	6903	813 (221–1391)	0.025
Renal disease	Yes	1451	245 (33–725)		1347	182 (38–639)		2010	930 (354–1375)		2010	763 (256–1280)
Stroke	No	6112	294 (35–849)	0.089	5714	235 (42–720)	0.318	8428	970 (337–1466)	0.450	8428	800 (230–1364)	0.574
Stroke	Yes	352	243 (16–774)		329	248 (49–721)		485	1009 (337–1501)		485	841 (224–1393)
Symptom type	Breathlessness	4517	195 (21–765)	<0.001	4187	168 (29–655)	<0.001	6176	896 (249–1445)	<0.001	6176	716 (157–1330)	<0.001
	Ankle swelling	897	345 (51–844)		759	312 (76–729)		1202	989 (446–1476)		1202	855 (344–1392)
	Fatigue	950	590 (212–1100)		1020	457 (121–961)		1412	1165 (691–1538)		1412	1016 (527–1437)
	Two or more	100	536 (83–1113)		77	498 (70–952)		123	1315 (636–1656)		123	1146 (432–1544)

WMW, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test; IMD, Index of Multiple Deprivation. Bold values represent statistically significant results.