Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patientsa
| Characteristics | Treatment groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Placebo | Omega-3 fatty acids | Bezafibrate | |
| Number of patients | 32 | 34 | 35 |
| Age (years) | 52.5 ± 3.1 | 53.1 ± 3.5 | 53.7 ± 3.2 |
| Men/women | 21/11 | 22/12 | 23/12 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 28.3 ± 2.4 | 28.6 ± 2.8 | 28.8 ± 2.6 |
| Smokers (%) | 31.3 | 35.3 | 31.4 |
| Mild hypertension (%) | 25.0 | 26.5 | 28.6 |
| Stable coronary artery disease (%) | 28.1 | 26.5 | 22.8 |
| Carotid artery atherosclerosis (%) | 25.0 | 23.5 | 25.7 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 168.9 ± 7.3 | 170.2 ± 8.1 | 169.8 ± 8.0 |
| LDL-cholesterol (mg/dl) | 101.3 ± 4.1 | 100.9 ± 6.0 | 102.3 ± 3.7 |
| HDL-cholesterol (mg/dl) | 37.7 ± 1.2 | 37.1 ± 1.5 | 37.3 ± 1.4 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 380.2 ± 36.4 | 378.2 ± 39.2 | 371.2 ± 35.1 |
| Fasting glucose (mg/dl) | 96.0 ± 2.9 | 95.9 ± 2.6 | 96.4 ± 2.4 |
| 2-h post-glucose load plasma glucose (mg/dl) | 137.0 ± 8.7 | 136.9 ± 5.8 | 138.0 ± 6.2 |
| HOMA ratio | 3.7 ± 0.2 | 3.5 ± 0.4 | 3.8 ± 0.5 |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | 3.1 ± 0.3 | 3.3 ± 0.5 | 3.3 ± 0.4 |
| Interleukin-2 release (ng/mL) | 5.5 ± 0.4 | 5.9 ± 0.8 | 5.7 ± 0.6 |
| Interferon-γ release (ng/mL) | 62.2 ± 7.1 | 65.2 ± 8.0 | 64.1 ± 8.2 |
| TNF-α release (pg/mL) | 400.1 ± 42.5 | 398.1 ± 45.2 | 402.3 ± 38.5 |
LDL, Low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HOMA, homeostasis model assessment index; hsCRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; TNF, tumor necrosis factor
Where appropriate, data are given as the mean±standard deviation (SD)
aOnly data of patients who completed the study were included in the final analyses