Variable | % Missing UK/Japan | Unweighted study population | Weighted study population unadjusted for medicines at discharge | Weighted study population adjusted for medicines at discharge | ||||||
UK | Japan | Standardised difference | UK | Japan | Standardised difference | UK | Japan | Standardised difference | ||
Patients, n | – | 894 | 3781 | – | 681 | 1814 | – | 605 | 1373 | – |
Age, years | 0.1/0 | 73.5 (13.7) | 74.5 (13.1) | −0.073 | 72.5 (14.0) | 72.4 (13.9) | 0.002 | 71.7 (14.4) | 72.3 (13.7) | −0.040 |
Male sex, n (%) | 0/5.7 | 555 (62) | 2147 (60) | 0.038 | 66% | 64% | 0.029 | 65% | 65% | 0.003 |
NYHA III or IV, n (%) | 2.7/27.2 | 802 (92) | 2259 (82) | 0.307 | 91% | 91% | −0.007 | 91% | 91% | 0.020 |
Systolic BP, mm Hg | 0.6/12.8 | 132 (29) | 139 (33) | −0.226 | 134 (29) | 133 (31) | 0.018 | 134 (30) | 134 (31) | −0.022 |
Heart rate, bpm | 0.7/13.3 | 91.1 (27.4) | 93.6 (29.2) | −0.089 | 93.2 (27.5) | 92.3 (27.6) | 0.030 | 91.6 (27.3) | 91.8 (27.0) | −0.008 |
LVEF ≤45%, n (%) | 12.6/18.1 | 560 (72) | 1763 (57) | 0.312 | 75% | 73% | 0.030 | 72% | 72% | 0.008 |
Comorbidities, n (%) | ||||||||||
IHD | 0/0 | 433 (48) | 961 (25) | 0.491 | 40% | 41% | −0.008 | 40% | 43% | −0.050 |
Diabetes mellitus | 0.1/0.1 | 297 (33) | 1394 (37) | −0.076 | 32% | 33% | −0.016 | 31% | 32% | −0.029 |
Hypertension | 0.1/0.5 | 512 (57) | 2664 (71) | −0.204 | 56% | 63% | −0.139 | 57% | 63% | −0.127 |
COPD/asthma | 0/15.6 | 221 (25) | 169 (5) | 0.565 | 12% | 12% | −0.006 | 14% | 14% | 0.006 |
Atrial fibrillation | 0.6/15.4 | 374 (41) | 1550 (48) | −0.129 | 41% | 41% | −0.005 | 41% | 40% | 0.026 |
Stroke | 1.3/15.6 | 88 (10) | 532 (17) | −0.198 | 12% | 11% | 0.035 | 10% | 10% | 0.013 |
Laboratory data | ||||||||||
Haemoglobin, g/dL | 43.7/0.4 | 12.2 (2.1) | 11.9 (2.3) | 0.142 | 12.4 (2.1) | 12.2 (2.3) | 0.133 | 12.3 (2.1) | 12.2 (2.3) | 0.059 |
Sodium, n (%) | 0.1/0.5 | 137.1 (6.8) | 139.2 (5.4) | −0.333 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Hyponatraemia, n (%) | 0.1/0.5 | 264 (30) | 558 (15) | 0.360 | 23% | 22% | 0.018 | 22% | 22% | 0.003 |
BUN, mg/dL | 41.7/0.7 | 32.1 (24.2) | 27.7 (17.9) | 0.206 | 29.4 (21.5) | 28.3 (18.0) | 0.052 | 28.1 (19.8) | 27.9 (19.6) | 0.006 |
Creatinine, mg/dL | 0.5/0.5 | 1.54 (1.24) | 1.50 (1.57) | 0.028 | 1.48 (1.07) | 1.49 (1.49) | −0.010 | 1.45 (1.06) | 1.50 (1.61) | −0.029 |
Oral medications at discharge, n (%) | ||||||||||
ACE-I/ARBs | 28.1/1.9 | 682 (76) | 2331 (62) | 0.465 | 81% | 64% | 0.493 | 84% | 82% | 0.061 |
Beta blockers | 8.1/1.9 | 640 (72) | 2698 (71) | 0.118 | 80% | 77% | 0.071 | 80% | 79% | 0.021 |
MRA | 22.5/6.9 | 126 (14) | 585 (15) | 0.352 | 52% | 38% | 0.287 | 47% | 48% | −0.008 |
Diuretics | 6.4/6.5 | 748 (84) | 2487 (66) | 0.492 | 91% | 76% | 0.415 | 90% | 90% | 0.012 |
Digitalis | 24.5/6.4 | 105 (12) | 325 (9) | 0.427 | 26% | 9% | 0.463 | 18% | 18% | 0.003 |
Length of hospitalisation, days | 0.0/8.7 | 14.9 (13.3) | 21.9 (32.3) | −0.284 | 15.0 (13.8) | 24.1 (37.3) | −0.324 | 14.4 (12.7) | 24.1 (33.4) | −0.386 |
Continuous variables are presented as mean (SD). Categorical variables are presented as number of patients (%).
A standardised difference of 0.1 denotes meaningful imbalance in the variables.
ACE-I, ACE inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker; BP, blood pressure; bpm, beats per minute; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; IHD, ischaemic heart disease; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; MRA, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist; NYHA, New York Heart Association.