Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics according to age-adjusted NT-proBNP levels

Cardiovascular risk factors

Male sex

259 (52.0)

32 (47.1)

227 (52.7)

0.443

Age, yrs – median [IQR]

66 [52–77]

82.0 [74.0–88.0]

63.0 [50.5–75.0]

< 0.001

BMI, kg/m2 – median (IQR)

28.7 [25.6–32.8]

28.4 [25.5–33.5]

28.7 [25.7–32.6]

0.873

Ever smoked

107 (21.4)

17 (25.0)

90 (20.9)

0.707

Hypertension

245 (49.1)

57 (83.8)

188 (43.6)

< 0.001

Dyslipidemia

171 (34.3)

30 (44.1)

141 (32.7)

0.072

Diabetes mellitus

103 (20.7)

25 (36.8)

78 (18.1)

0.001

Comorbidities

Cerebrovascular disease

32 (6.4)

10 (14.7)

22 (5.1)

0.006

Coronary heart disease

36 (7.2)

14 (20.6)

22 (5.1)

< 0.001

Atrial fibrillation

38 (7.6)

22 (32.4)

16 (3.71)

< 0.001

Chronic heart failure

26 (5.2)

14 (20.6)

12 (2.8)

< 0.001

Chronic kidney disease

48 (9.6)

26 (38.2)

22 (5.1)

< 0.001

Cancer

67 (13.4)

12 (17.6)

55 (12.8)

0.346

Peripheral vascular disease

15 (3.0)

7 (10.3)

8 (1.9)

0.002

COPD

39 (7.8)

12 (17.6)

27 (6.3)

< 0.003

Laboratory blood tests – median [IQR)

Leukocytes, µL×10^3

6.5 [4.98–8.44]

8.55 [6.54–11.7]

6.30 [4.84–8.04]

< 0.001

Lymphocytes, µL×10^3

1.06 [0.74–1.50]

0.80 [0.49–1.18]

1.10 [0.79–1.54]

< 0.001

Creatinine, mg/dL

0.9 [0.71–1.12]

1.25 [0.98–1.80]

0.87 [0.68–1.06]

< 0.001

Haemoglobin, g/dL

13.6 [12.3–14.6]

12.4 [10.9–13.4]

13.8 [12.5–14.7]

< 0.001

LDH, U/L

287 [233–378]

392 [272–501]

281 [228–362]

< 0.001

C-reactive protein, mg/dL

7.85 [3.18–14.2]

11.2 [5.20–24.0]

7.10 [3.00–13.0]

< 0.001

D-Dimer, ng/mL

700 [440–1232]

1130 [680–2365]

670 [426–1100]

< 0.001

hs-cTnT, ng/L

0 [0-19.6]

50.7 [29.7–100]

0.00 [0.00-14.3]

< 0.001