Increased Left Ventricular Stiffness Impairs Exercise Capacity in Patients with Heart Failure Symptoms Despite Normal Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Table 1

Patient Characteristics (variable expressed as median [25–75% quartile]).

	Patient population; (𝑛=39)	DHF; (𝑛=27)	noDHF; (𝑛=12)	P
Demographics:
Men, n (%)	16 (41)	11 (41)	5 (42)	.957
Age, y	50 [38–60]	54 [41–60]	41 [36–52]	.113
BMI, kg/m^2	24 [22–32]	25 [22–33]	23 [21–28]	.083
NYHA class II/III, n (%)	21/18	10 (36)/17 (63)	11 (92)/1 (8)
Concomitant disease
Art. hypertension, n (%)	15 (38)	13 (48)	2 (17)	.062
Diabetes mellitus, n (%)	6 (15)	5 (19)	1 (8)	.416
Obesity, n (%)	12 (31)	10 (37)	2 (17)	.203
Hyperlipoproteinemia, n (%)	9 (23)	7 (26)	2 (17)	.526
Smoker, n (%)	7 (18)	5 (19)	2 (17)	.889
Heart dimensions
LA, mm	34 [31–38]	34 [30–40]	35 [32–36]	.882
LVEDD, mm	48 [45–52]	48 [45–52]	48 [46–51]	.708
Septum, mm	10 [10-11]	10 [10–13]	10 [9–11]	.155
Posterior wall, mm	10 [9–11]	11 [9–13]	10 [9–11]	.076
LV mass, g	173 [140–225]	173 [125–225]	172 [145–200]	.503
LVMI, g/m^2	96 [76–105]	96 [74–117]	91 [75–97]	.281

BMI indicates body mass index, NYHA New York Heart Association class, LA left atrial parasternal diameter, LVEDD LV end-diastolic diameter, and LVMI LV mass index.