Table 1 Preoperative characteristics of the two cohorts of thoracic surgical patients

Age

62 (12)

63 (12)

0.956

   >70 years (%)

29

30

0.568

Gender, female (%)

35.6

36.9*

0.709

Body mass index (kg/m²)

25.1 (4.6)

25.3 (5.1)

0.567

Smoking (%)

   Current

66.2

63.8

0.724

   Ex-smoker (>6 months)

10.1

11.3

0.884

Alcohol (>60 g/day)

13.1

14.2

0.686

ASA classes 3 and 4 (%)

42.2

48.4*

0.047

Comorbidities (%)

   Hypertension

24.4

35.1*

< 0.01

   Coronary artery disease

8.4

9.7*

0.546

   Heart failure

5.8

8.7*

0.066

   Hypercholesterolemia

16.7

22.9*

0.013

   Peripheral artery disease

7.5

7.6

0.951

   Diabetes mellitus

9.6

10.7

0.045

   Arrythmia

2.1

2.7

0.633

   Conduction blockade

8.4

7.3

0.576

   Stroke

2.4

2.8

0.602

Prior PTCA/CABGS (%)

2.6

4.3

0.179

Preoperative medications (%)

   β-Blockers

5.6

10.4*

0.006

   ACE inhibitors/angiotensin II antagonists

11.1

16.5*

0.012

   Statins

8.1

9.7

0.534

   Corticoids

3.9

4.1

0.999

   Antiplatelets

4.1

7.4*

0.032

   Calcium channel blockers

3.7

4.1

0.874

Lung function

   Forced vital capacity (l/min)

3.51 (1.07)

3.49 (0.96)

0.885

   Forced vital capacity (% predicted value)

95 (21)

92 (22)

0.798

   FEV1 (l/min)

2.5 (1.1)

2.4 (0.9)

0.825

   FEV1 (% predicted value)

82 (18)

81 (19)

0.912

   Total lung capacity (l/min)

6.2 (1.4)

6.3 (1.8)

0.892

   Total lung capacity (% predicted value)

102 (18)

101 (17)

0.921

   Carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (% predicted value)

54 (14)

53 (13)

0.896

Laboratory data

   Hematocrit (%)

41.0 (5.1)

40.8 (4.9)

0.885

   Creatinine clearance (ml/min)

83 (23)

85 (28)

0.387