Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the total study population

Primary variables

 Stress hyperglycemia ratio, range

0.16 to 4.45

0.16 to 0.78

0.79 to 1.08

1.09 to 4.45

 Stress hyperglycemia ratio

0.92 [0.73, 1.23]

0.67 [0.58, 0.73]

0.92 [0.85, 0.99]

1.40 [1.21, 1.64]

 < 0.001

 Blood glucose at admission, mmol/L

8.3 [6.3, 11.7]

5.8 [5.0, 6.9]

7.8 [6.8, 9.3]

12.8 [10.6, 16.6]

 < 0.001

 HbA1c, %

7.1 [6.4, 8.2]

7.2 [6.6, 8.5]

6.9 [6.3, 7.9]

7.1 [6.4, 8.3]

 < 0.001

NYHA class

 Class II

1277 (44.4)

447 (48.2)

470 (48.4)

360 (36.9)

 < 0.001

 Class III

1036 (36.0)

338 (36.5)

351 (36.1)

347 (35.6)

 Class IV

562 (19.5)

142 (15.3)

151 (15.5)

269 (27.6)

Demographics

 Age, years

71.2 [63.5, 78.2]

71.1 [63.0, 77.9]

71.5 [63.6, 78.3]

71.1 [64.0, 78.7]

0.53

 Sex, female, n (%)

1113 (38.7)

355 (38.3)

371 (38.2)

387 (39.7)

0.76

Medical and discharge summaries

 Smoking, n (%)

1211 (42.1)

386 (41.6)

407 (41.9)

418 (42.8)

0.86

 Stop smoking, n (%)

843 (29.3)

279 (30.1)

289 (29.8)

275 (28.2)

0.61

 Drinking, n (%)

814 (28.3)

256 (27.6)

272 (28.0)

286 (29.3)

0.69

 Stop drinking, n (%)

144 (5.0)

57 (6.1)

43 (4.4)

44 (4.5)

0.16

 Admission department, cardiology, n (%)

1716 (59.7)

518 (55.9)

605 (62.2)

593 (60.8)

0.01

Laboratory test

 HbA1c ≥ 7.0%, n (%)

1584 (55.1)

546 (58.9)

483 (49.7)

555 (56.9)

 < 0.001

 NT-proBNP, pg/mL

937.0 [231.0, 3652.5]

809.0 [211.5, 3291.0]

633.0 [171.5, 2671.5]

1487.0 [368.0, 4912.0]

 < 0.001

 Leukocytes, 10*9/L

6.77 [5.47, 8.74]

6.62 [5.42, 8.16]

6.54 [5.33, 8.04]

7.38 [5.73, 10.23]

 < 0.001

 Serum creatinine, μmol/L

92.9 [75.0, 123.0]

91.0 [74.0, 122.0]

90.0 [73.1, 114.0]

97.9 [77.3, 135.0]

 < 0.001

 ALT, U/L

21.0 [14.0, 33.0]

21.0 [14.0, 32.0]

21.0 [14.0, 31.0]

22.0 [14.0, 38.0]

0.01

 Hemoglobin, g/L

126.0 [109.0, 140.0]

127.0 [110.0, 140.0]

129.0 [114.0, 142.0]

122.0 [104.0, 137.0]

 < 0.001

 eGFR < 60 mL/(min*1.73m²), n (%)

1268 (44.1)

388 (41.9)

385 (39.6)

495 (50.7)

 < 0.001

 eGFR, mL/(min*1.73m²)

64.90 [45.41, 84.11]

67.43 [46.25, 84.75]

67.93 [49.52, 84.67]

59.35 [40.01, 82.54]

 < 0.001

 TC, mmol/L

3.74 [3.09, 4.55]

3.69 [3.06, 4.50]

3.73 [3.08, 4.57]

3.78 [3.16, 4.61]

0.21

 TG, mmol/L

1.35 [0.97, 1.98]

1.24 [0.94, 1.74]

1.37 [0.99, 2.04]

1.50 [1.04, 2.22]

 < 0.001

 HDL-c, mmol/L

1.10 [0.89, 1.37]

1.12 [0.89, 1.37]

1.11 [0.90, 1.36]

1.09 [0.88, 1.37]

0.42

 LDL-c, mmol/L

1.98 [1.48, 2.64]

1.96 [1.48, 2.64]

1.95 [1.48, 2.64]

2.02 [1.49, 2.62]

0.90

Vital signs

 Heart rate, beats/minute

80 [70, 90]

78 [68, 87]

78 [68, 89]

82 [72, 98]

 < 0.001

 Systolic blood pressure, mmHg

132 [118, 148]

132 [118, 150]

131 [119, 148]

132 [118, 149]

0.78

 Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg

75 [67, 84]

74.0 [67, 84]

75.0 [67, 82]

75 [67, 84]

0.46

Comorbidity

 Charlson Comorbidity Index

3 [2, 8]

4 [2, 8]

3 [2, 7]

4 [2, 8]

0.01

 Hypoglycemia, n (%)

77 (2.7)

64 (6.9)

3 (0.3)

10 (1.0)

 < 0.001

 Hyperglycemic crises, n (%)

125 (4.3)

21 (2.3)

20 (2.1)

84 (8.6)

 < 0.001

 Hypertension, n (%)

2095 (72.9)

681 (73.5)

722 (74.3)

692 (70.9)

0.22

 IHD, n (%)

2085 (72.5)

670 (72.3)

702 (72.2)

713 (73.1)

0.90

 ASCVD, n (%)

2253 (78.4)

718 (77.5)

755 (77.7)

780 (79.9)

0.35

 Stroke, n (%)

578 (20.1)

204 (22.0)

191 (19.7)

183 (18.8)

0.19

 Urolithiasis, n (%)

93 (3.2)

32 (3.5)

36 (3.7)

25 (2.6)

0.33

Medication use

 Use of insulin, n (%)

967 (33.6)

295 (31.8)

273 (28.1)

399 (40.9)

 < 0.001

 Use of ACEI, n (%)

422 (14.7)

128 (13.8)

140 (14.4)

154 (15.8)

0.46

 Use of CCB, n (%)

802 (27.9)

273 (29.4)

274 (28.2)

255 (26.1)

0.26

 Use of ARB, n (%)

704 (24.5)

246 (26.5)

267 (27.5)

191 (19.6)

 < 0.001

 Use of MRA, n (%)

659 (22.9)

198 (21.4)

229 (23.6)

232 (23.8)

0.39

 Use of oral thiazide, n (%)

94 (3.3)

26 (2.8)

35 (3.6)

33 (3.4)

0.60

 Use of venous loop diuretics, n (%)

685 (23.8)

168 (18.1)

177 (18.2)

340 (34.8)

 < 0.001

 Use of beta blocking agents selective, n (%)

1033 (35.9)

339 (36.6)

374 (38.5)

320 (32.8)

0.03