Table 1 Characteristics of enrolled patients (n = 44) at the hospital admission (t₀) and discharge (t_d).

Age (years)

72 [16]

Weight (Kg)

77 ± 20

72 ± 16

0.14

Body mass index (Kg/m²)

30 ± 6

26 ± 4

0.22

Heart failure severity

NYHA class at admission

NYHA I

4 (9%)

NYHA II

8 (18%)

NYHA III

18 (41%)

NYHA IV

14 (32%)

Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)

123 ± 20

119 ± 18

0.39

Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)

75 ± 14

68 ± 13

0.07

Heart rate (bpm)

75 [26]

70 [17]

0.16

Respiratory rate (breathes per minute)

20 ± 8

16 ± 5

0.11

Left ventricular ejection fraction (%)

31 [13]

52 [12]

0.01

Low-density lipoprotein (mg/dL)

85 [59]

76 [52]

0.69

High-density lipoprotein (mg/dL)

42 ± 13

43 ± 12

0.79

Triglyceride (mg/dL)

93 [54]

92 [46]

0.77

Total calcium (mg/dL)

9 ± 1

9 ± 1

0.84

Sodium (mmol/L)

141 ± 7

139 ± 6

0.44

Potassium (mmol/L)

4 ± 1

4 ± 1

0.37

Haemoglobin (g/dL)

15 ± 2

13 ± 2

0.91

Haematocrit (%)

39 ± 6

38 ± 7

0.78

White blood cell count (×10⁹/L)

8 [4]

5 [2]

0.02

Creatinine (mg/dL)

1.5 [0.5]

0.8 [0.5]

0.38

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (mL/min)

59 ± 23

57 ± 25

0.77

Blood NT-proBNP (pg/mL)

1150 [1660]

510 [1220]

0.01

Alanine aminotransferase (U/L)

23 [21]

19 [12]

0.21

Aspartate aminotransferase (U/L)

20 [33]

19 [22]

0.69

Oxygen saturation (%)

92 ± 4

98 ± 3

0.18

Glycaemia (mg/dL)

110 [51]

98 [42]

0.18

Glycated haemoglobin (mmol/mol)

48 [5]

47 [6]

0.97

Salivary pH

6.9 ± 0.6

7.1 ± 0.5

0.75

Salivary flow rate (mL/min)

0.5 [0.5]

0.7 [0.3]

0.09

Salivary lactate (μM)

1670 [3160]

620 [1030]

<0.01

Salivary uric acid (mg/mL)

95 [110]

55 [50]

0.02

Salivary TNF-α (pg/mL)

25 [45]

20 [30]

0.42

Salivary cortisol (pg/mL)

760 [1560]

720 [1280]

0.07

Salivary α-amylase (U/mL)

480 [470]

400 [450]

0.78

Salivary 8-isoPGF_2α (pg/mL)

40 [30]

25 [21]

0.02