| 
      Notes: The values are presented as mean with SD, median with range, depending
    on the type of data; Mann-Whitney U-test
        | Variables | Patients n=53  | Controls n=24  | P |  
        | BNP (pg/ml) | 650 (401-5974) | 57 (35-118) | <0.05 |  
        | НО-1(ng/ml) | 2.58 (0.52-13.3) | 5.1 (1.2-12.2) | <0.01 |  
        | TSCH (mmol/l) | 4.6 (0.7) | 5.3 (0.6) | <0.05 |  
        | Fasting blood glucose (mmol/l)  | 6.4 (2.3) | 5.4 (0.8) | <0.05 |  
        | Hemoglobin (g/l) | 126.5 (19.7) | 144 (19.4) | <0.05 |  
        | Serum iron (μmol/l) | 17.1 (8.8)  | 20.2 (8.1) | NS |  
        | Serum ferritin (μmol/l) | 74.8 (67.8) | 80.9 (42.8) | NS |  
        | TBR (μmol/l) | 17.2 (13.5) | 16.2 (9.0) | NS |  
        | Creatinine (μmol/l) | 126.5 (45.7) | 97.7 (35.4) | <0.05 |  
        | Sodium (mmol/l) | 140 (3.7) | 144 (3) | <0.05 |  
 |