Table 3.

Clinical and biochemical characteristics of subjects with low and normal cortisone

	Normal cortisone	Low cortisone	P value
N	110	39
Gender, male/female	52/58	13/26	.2
Age, years	41.7 (33.0-52.5)	50.6 (44.0 -56.0)	.001*
BMI, kg/m2	27.1 (24.6 -29.2)	28.5 (27.1- 30.2)	.002*
SBP, mmHg	128.3 (116.3-139)	128.3 (119.2-146)	.1
DBP, mmHg	81.7 (75-89.3)	82.7 (77.5-92.5)	.3
Aldosterone, ng/dL pmol, L	6.7 (5.2-8.2) 186.1 (144.4-227.7)	6.1 (3.7-8.5) 169.4 (102.7-236.1)	.2
Plasma renin activity, ng/mL × hour ng/L × second	1.2 (0.6-2.0) 0.33 (0.16-0.55)	0.8 (0.5-1.4) 0.22 (0.14-0.38)	.04*
Serum Na, mEq/L	141 (140-142)	141 (139-142.5)	.9
Serum K, mEq/L	4.2 (4.0-4.5)	4.2 (4.0-4.47)	.6
Hs-CRP mg/L	1.4 (0.6-2.5)	1.2 (0.67- 2.9)	.7
glomerular filtration rate, MDRD-4	107.8 (92.2-121.6)	104.5 (93- 118.1)	.8
PAI-I, ng/mL	13.7 (9.2-24.8)	19.5 (14.5-23.9)	.01*
Urinary Na, mEq/24 hours	165 (123-197)	119 (89.5-190)	.01*
FENA, 24 hours %	0.7 (0.5-0.9)	0.7 (0.5-0.9)	.8
Urinary K, mEq/24 hours	51 (39-64)	46 (37-58)	.2
FEK, 24 hours %	7.1 (5.9-8.6)	7.3 (6.0-9.4)	.5
Urinary Na/K ratio	3.2 (2.2-4.1)	2.8 (1.9-4.7)	.5
Urinary albumin, mg/24 hours	7.0 (4.3-11.5)	10.3 (7.1-22.2)	.01*

Values correspond to median (Q1-Q3).

Subjects were classified having a low cortisone with a serum cortisone lower than the first quartile (Q1) (P < 25th; E ≤ 1.98 ug/dL) and normal cortisone greater than the 25th percentile. The subjects were adjusted by aldosterone <75th percentile; 11.35 ng/dL).

Abbreviations: DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FEK, fractional excretion of potassium; FENA, fractional excretion of sodium; hs-CRP, high sensitivity C reactive protein; K, potassium; K, potassium.; Na, sodium; Na, sodium; PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor; SBP, systolic blood pressure.

*P < .05, Mann–Whitney test.

*A P < .05 is considered statistically significant.