Table 1 Patient characteristics

Sex

 Male (n, %)

 Female (n, %)

98 (49.3%)

104 (51.2%)

244 (48.5%)

258 (51.3%)

0.98

0.98

Age (years)

81 [72–85]

81 [72–86]

0.98

Clinical signs

 Orthopnoea (n, %)

 Bilateral crackles (n, %)

 Bilateral rhonchi (n, %)

 Venous jugular distension (423 pts – n, %)

 Lower-extremity oedema (626 pts – n, %)

177 (87.2%)

189 (93.1%)

27 (13.3%)

34 (27.2%)

97 (52.7%)

32 (6.4%)

133 (26.4%)

100 (19.9%)

30 (10.1%)

158 (35.7%)

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.039

0.010

0.008

Comorbidities

 Arterial hypertension (n, %)

 Cardiac valvular disease (n, %)

 Coronary artery disease (n, %)

 Basal left ventricular EF (%)*

 COPD (n, %)

 Chronic respiratory failure (n, %)

 Chronic renal failure (n, %)

 Diabetes mellitus (n, %)

167 (82.3%)

56 (30.0%)

73 (36.0%)

49 [38–57]

50 (24.6%)

24 (11.8%)

50 (24.6%)

71 (35.0%)

354 (70.4%)

62 (13.0%)

124 (24.7%)

55 [44–60]

170 (33.8%)

102 (20.3%)

85 (16.9%)

158 (31.4%)

0.001

< 0.001

0.001

< 0.001

0.018

0.011

0.019

> 0.05

Chronic medications

 Anticoagulants (n, %)

 Antiplatelets (n, %)

 Antihypertensives (n, %)

 Diuretics (n, %)

 Nitrate (n, %)

 Anti-arrhythmics (n, %)

 Bronchodilators (n, %)

 Oxygen (n, %)

 CPAP (n, %)

 NIV (n, %)

 Antidiabetics (n, %)

 Chronic haemodialysis (n, %)

57 (28.1%)

104 (51.2%)

161 (79.3%)

113 (55.7%)

34 (16.7%)

39 (19.2%)

39 (19.2%)

27 (13.3%)

4 (2.0%)

2 (1.0%)

59 (29.1%)

4 (2.0%)

125 (25.0%)

186 (37.0%)

332 (66.0%)

240 (47.7%)

68 (13.5%)

79 (15.7%)

122 (24.3%)

107 (21.3%)^b

7 (1.4%)

2 (0.4%)

138 (27.4%)

4 (0.8%)

> 0.05

< 0.001

0.001

> 0.05

> 0.05

> 0.05

> 0.05

0.013

> 0.05

> 0.05

> 0.05

> 0.05