Table 1 Main characteristics of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis according to serum level of total cholesterol.
| All patients | Total cholesterol level | p Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <6.21 mmol/l | ⩾6.21 mmol/l | |||
| Subjects (n) | 103 | 66 | 37 | |
| Females (n (%)) | 95 (92) | 58 (88) | 37 (100) | 0.048 |
| Mean age (years) | 60 (12) | 58 (12) | 62 (10) | 0.150 |
| Age >60 years (n (%)) | 53 (51) | 33 (50) | 20 (54) | ― |
| Mean duration of disease (years) | 11 (7) | 12 (7) | 10 (7) | ― |
| Total bilirubin (μmol/l) | 15 (17) | 17 (20) | 12 (7) | ― |
| Advanced histological stage (n (%))* | 45 (44) | 35 (53) | 10 (27) | 0.013 |
| Complications of portal hypertension (n (%)) | 9 (9) | 8 (12) | 1 (3) | 0.152 |
| HDL‐cholesterol (mmol/l) | 1.76 (0.49) | 1.71 (0.54) | 1.81 (0.41) | ― |
| Triglycerides (mmol/l) | 1.16 (0.44) | 1.02 (0.33) | 1.41 (0.50) | <0.001 |
| Mean BMI (kg/m2) | 25.4 (4.3) | 24.7 (3.7) | 26.8 (5.1) | 0.034 |
| BMI ⩾25 kg/m2 (n (%)) | 47 (46) | 25 (38) | 22 (59) | 0.041 |
| Arterial hypertension (n (%))† | 31 (30) | 16 (24) | 15 (41) | 0.117 |
| Diabetes (n (%)) | 3 (3) | 2 (3) | 1 (3) | ― |
| Family history of premature cardiovascular disease (n (%))‡ | 23 (22) | 23 (22) | 23 (22) | ― |
| Personal history of cardiovascular events (n (%)) | 8 (8) | 4 (6) | 4 (11) | ― |
BMI, body mass index; HDL, high‐density lipoprotein.
Values are mean (SD) unless otherwise stated. p Values ⩽0.20 are shown.
*Patients with stage III or IV according to the Ludwig classification on histological examination.
†Blood pressure values ⩾140/90 mm Hg, or treatment for hypertension.
‡Coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm or symptomatic carotid artery disease in male first‐degree relatives before the age of 55 years, or in female first‐degree relatives before the age of 65 years.