Table 4.
Baseline characteristics of the study cohort.
| Variables/parameters | Total N = 150 (100%) | HSM n = 80 (%) | LSM n = 70 (%) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Male [n (%)] | 13 (8.7%) | 8 (10%) | 8 (7.1%) | 0.535a |
| Female [n (%)] | 137 (91.3%) | 72 (90%) | 65 (92.9%) | |
| Anthropometry* | ||||
| Age [years] | 49.2 ± 12.0 | 49.1 ± 12.4 | 49.3 ± 11.6 | 0.952b |
| BMI [kg/m2] | 25.7 ± 4.2 | 25.9 ± 4.5 | 25.6 ± 4.0 | 0.707b |
| Severity of constipation (Rome score) | ||||
| Mild [n (%)] | 14 (9.3%) | 8 (10%) | 6 (8.6%) | 0.677a |
| Moderate [n (%)] | 71 (47.3%) | 40 (50%) | 31 (44.3%) | |
| Severe [n (%)] | 65 (43.3%) | 32 (40%) | 33 (47.1%) | |
*Data are shown as mean ± SD. BMI, body mass index, HSM, High sulfate and magnesium; LSM, low sulfate and magnesium; SD, standard deviation. aChi-squared-test, bT-test.