Baseline characteristics of the study population (132 patients).

a<p>BMI data available on 101 patients,</p>b<p>smoking data available on 120 patients,</p>c<p>rapidly or ultimately fatal disease,</p>d<p>valvular, coronary artery disease, heart failure or cardiac myopathy,</p>e<p>sequential organ failure assessment,</p>f<p>intensive care unit.