Baseline characteristics by NT-proBNP quartile. Data are presented as mean ± SD for continuous variables and percentage for dichotomous variables.
| Characteristic | Quartile of NT-proBNP (pg/ml) | p for Trend | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| < 40.1 (n = 1569) | 40.1–77.8 (n = 1568) | 77.9–148.0 (n = 1568) | > 148.0 (n = 1568) | ||
| Age, yrs | 60 ± 7 | 62 ± 8 | 64 ± 8 | 68 ± 9 | < 0.0001 |
| Male | 35.9 | 24.3 | 21.1 | 19.0 | < 0.0001 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 31 ± 6 | 31 ± 6 | 30 ± 6 | 29 ± 6 | < 0.0001 |
| RA (vs OA) | 19.3 | 22.8 | 22.5 | 26.9 | < 0.0001 |
| Risk factors | |||||
| Hypertension | 42.9 | 44.4 | 47.0 | 61.3 | < 0.0001 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 39.1 | 35.5 | 34.8 | 36.6 | 0.13 |
| Diabetes | 13.1 | 12.1 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 0.11 |
| Current smoker | 10.6 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 7.8 | 0.005 |
| Cardiovascular history | |||||
| Prior heart failure | 0.13 | 0.51 | 0.57 | 1.91 | < 0.0001 |
| Prior atherosclerosis | 9.0 | 10.1 | 15.2 | 22.8 | < 0.0001 |
| Presenting characteristics | |||||
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 128 ± 14 | 129 ± 14 | 129 ± 14 | 133 ± 15 | < 0.0001 |
| Creatinine clearance, ml/min | 75 ± 16 | 73 ± 16 | 72 ± 16 | 68 ± 17 | < 0.0001 |
OA: osteoarthritis; RA: rheumatoid arthritis.