Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of participants included in the study.
| Sham tVNS (n = 68) | Active tVNS (n = 63) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 58 (20–65) | 55 (45–67) |
| Sex | ||
| Male, n (%) | 24 (35) | 29 (46) |
| Female, n (%) | 44 (65) | 34 (54) |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 29 (25–35) | 28 (25–32) |
| Diabetes type | ||
| Type 1, n (%) | 32 (47) | 31 (49) |
| Type 2, n (%) | 36 (53) | 32 (51) |
| Diabetes duration, years | 18 (11–33) | 20 (10–29) |
| HbA1c, mmol/mol | 60 (54–68) | 58 (52–67) |
| CAN | ||
| No CAN, n (%) | 31 (48) | 22 (38) |
| Early CAN, n (%) | 19 (30) | 14 (24) |
| Manifest CAN, n (%) | 15 (23) | 22 (38) |
| IL-6, pg/mL | 1.2 (1.0–2.2) | 1.2 (0.8–1.6) |
| IL-8, pg/mL | 6.1 (4.6–8.5) | 7.5 (5.7–10.4) |
| IL-10, pg/mL | 0.3 (0.2–0.4) | 0.4 (0.2–0.5) |
| TNF-α, pg/mL | 1.1 (1.0–1.5) | 1.3 (1.0–1.6) |
| IFN-γ, pg/mL | 6.7 (4.5–12.5) | 6.6 (4.3–10.4) |
| Medication | ||
| Statins, n (%) | 42 (63) | 37 (59) |
| Glucocorticoids, n (%) | 2 (3) | 2 (3) |
| NSAIDs, n (%) | 10 (15) | 12 (19) |
| Acetylsalicylic acid, n (%) | 10 (15) | 14 (22) |
| GLP-1 receptor agonists, n (%) | 20 (30) | 14 (22) |
| SGLT-2 inhibitors, n (%) | 18 (27) | 17 (27) |
| DPP-4 inhibitors, n (%) | 2 (3) | 2 (3) |
Data are displayed as median (1st; 3rd quartiles) or number and percentages.
BMI Body mass index, CAN Cardiac autonomic neuropathy, DPP-4 dipeptidyl peptidase-4, GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide-1, IFN Interferon, IL Interleukin, NSAIDs nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; SGLT-2 sodium-glucose transport protein-2, TNF Tumor necrosis factor.