NPPB and hydrops fetalis: Compared with patients with LVEF < 50%, patients with LVEF < 40% (i.e. HFrEF) and patients with LVEF < 30% did not differ in terms of age or sex, but the latter two groups had a larger proportion of patients classified as NYHA functional class II or III, a higher proportion of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy as an aetiology of HF, and higher plasma BNP concentrations (Table 2).