Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study patients

Total

4832

2222

5798

Age, mean (SD), years

65.0

(16.1)

68.5

(14.6)

72.6

(13.6)

< 0.001

Age group, years

< 0.001

 18–64

2298

(47.6)

842

(37.9)

1487

(25.7)

 65–74

980

(20.3)

536

(24.1)

1363

(23.5)

 ≥ 75

1554

(32.2)

844

(38.0)

2948

(50.9)

Sex

< 0.001

 Male

3284

(68.0)

1327

(59.7)

2623

(45.2)

 Female

1548

(32.0)

895

(40.3)

3175

(54.8)

HF diagnosis year

< 0.001

 Before 2016

3477

(72.0)

1749

(78.7)

4276

(73.8)

 After 2016

1355

(28.0)

473

(21.3)

1522

(26.3)

Hospital level

< 0.001

 Medical center

3338

(69.1)

1627

(73.2)

3927

(67.7)

 Non-medical center

1494

(30.9)

595

(26.8)

1871

(32.3)

Comorbidities

 Hypertension

3052

(63.2)

1598

(71.9)

4382

(75.6)

< 0.001

 Diabetes mellitus

2011

(41.6)

1043

(46.9)

2563

(44.2)

< 0.001

 Dyslipidemia

1445

(29.9)

806

(36.3)

1969

(34.0)

< 0.001

 Atrial fibrillation

1330

(27.5)

657

(29.6)

1997

(34.4)

< 0.001

 Peripheral arterial disease

249

(5.2)

127

(5.7)

329

(5.7)

0.437

 VTE

160

(3.3)

80

(3.6)

327

(5.6)

< 0.001

 COPD

722

(14.9)

404

(18.2)

1250

(21.6)

< 0.001

 Gouty arthritis

603

(12.5)

277

(12.5)

840

(14.5)

0.004

 Gastrointestinal bleeding

951

(19.7)

544

(24.5)

1551

(26.8)

< 0.001

 Intra-cranial hemorrage

77

(1.6)

40

(1.8)

115

(2.0)

0.323

 Ischemic heart disease

2946

(61.0)

1503

(67.6)

2775

(47.9)

< 0.001

 Old ischemic stroke

585

(12.1)

326

(14.7)

993

(17.1)

< 0.001

 S/p CABG

304

(6.3)

143

(6.4)

214

(3.7)

< 0.001

 Valve replacement

115

(2.4)

80

(3.6)

289

(5.0)

< 0.001

Laboratory data, mean (SD)

 Hemoglobin, g/dL

12.1

(2.5)

11.3

(2.4)

10.9

(2.3)

< 0.001

 Creatinine, mg/dL

1.9

(2.1)

2.4

(2.8)

2.0

(2.2)

< 0.001

 Uric acid, mg/dL

8.4

(2.8)

7.6

(2.8)

7.5

(2.6)

< 0.001

 ALT, U/L

138.6

(532.9)

79.3

(278.3)

55.0

(210.0)

< 0.001

 AST, U/L

179.3

(857.6)

111.7

(451.2)

76.3

(415.8)

< 0.001

 NT-ProBNP, pg/mL

8307.8

(10527.6)

5734.7

(5211.3)

5820.6

(7398.5)

0.473

 BNP, pg/mL

1452.3

(1540.0)

1370.6

(1452.0)

905.0

(1050.7)

< 0.001

 eGFR, mL/min/1.73m²

< 0.001

  ≥ 60

2699

(58.8)

1153

(55.6)

3036

(56.8)

  30–59

1052

(22.9)

439

(21.2)

1125

(21.0)

  16–30

345

(7.5)

133

(6.4)

466

(8.7)

  Dialysis

493

(10.7)

348

(16.8)

721

(13.5)

Hospitalized Intervention

 Intubation/ventilation

423

(8.8)

194

(8.7)

370

(6.4)

< 0.001

 Intensive Care Unit stay

1617

(33.5)

769

(34.6)

1478

(25.5)

< 0.001

  Intensive Care Unit stay, mean (SD), days

7.1

(9.0)

6.1

(7.6)

6.6

(9.0)

0.018

 NIPPV

118

(2.4)

47

(2.1)

133

(2.3)

0.689

 CPCR

17

(0.4)

3

(0.1)

11

(0.2)

0.126

 Cardioversion

43

(0.9)

19

(0.9)

29

(0.5)

0.038

 Blood transfusion

185

(3.8)

118

(5.3)

449

(7.7)

< 0.001

 Hemodialysis

96

(2.0)

81

(3.7)

113

(2.0)

< 0.001

 Coronary PCI with stenting

76

(1.6)

31

(1.4)

43

(0.7)

< 0.001

Discharge medications

 Antiplatelet

2714

(56.2)

1397

(62.9)

2581

(44.5)

< 0.001

 OAC

3271

(67.7)

1632

(73.5)

3447

(59.5)

< 0.001

 RASi

3630

(75.1)

1534

(69.0)

3029

(52.2)

< 0.001

 Beta-blockers

2965

(61.4)

1222

(55.0)

2160

(37.3)

< 0.001

 DCCB

1236

(25.6)

598

(26.9)

1615

(27.9)

0.031

 CCB

83

(1.7)

86

(3.9)

568

(9.8)

< 0.001

 Diuretics

3395

(70.3)

1363

(61.3)

3463

(59.7)

< 0.001

 MRA

1409

(29.2)

315

(14.2)

695

(12.0)

< 0.001

 OHA

1042

(21.6)

529

(23.8)

1204

(20.8)

0.012

 Insulin

208

(4.3)

147

(6.6)

349

(6.0)

< 0.001

 Statin

1282

(26.5)

693

(31.2)

1228

(21.2)

< 0.001