Table 1. Comparison of study populations.

	ACS study		Lipid clinic study
	Males	Females	Males	Females
Number	297	118	77	81
Age (median, total range)	66 (55–93)	72 (51–91)†	52 (43–59)***	56 (48–63)† ***
With diabetes (%)	16%	20%	0	0
BMI (median, IQ range)	26.3 (24.5–29.4)	27.4 (22.9–31.7)	28.4** (25.7–31.8)	27.2 (24.3–31.0)
Pl betaine µmol/L	42.1 (34.4–54.7)	38.0(30.5–44.1)†††	24.9 (19.2–31.9)***	20.0 (15.0–25.6)††† ***
Pl dimethylglycine µmol/L	3.7 (2.6–4.9)	3.2 (1.9–4.7)†	2.1 (1.5–2.7)***	1.8 (1.4–2.2)***
Pl total homocysteine µmol/L	12.5 (10.4–15.8)	12.3 (10.1–15.6)	9.8 (8.6–12.2)***	9.6 (7.7–12.2)***
Pl creatinine µmol/L	100 (89–110)	80 (71–100)†††	80 (70–90)***	70 (60–80)***
Pl urea mmol/L	6.5 (5.4–8.2)	6.4 (4.9–8.0)	–	–
Pl triglycerides mmol/L	1.50 (1.05–2.08)	1.47 (1.01–2.03)	2.25 (1.60–3.30)***	1.82 (1.27–2.35)†† **
Pl HDL cholesterol mmol/L	1.07 (0.89–1.25)	1.25 (1.06–1.50)†††	1.01 (0.87–1.30)	1.29 (1.10–1.55)†††
Pl non-HDL cholesterol mmol/L	3.0 (2.5–3.7)	3.3 (2.6–4.3)†	5.8 (5.1–6.6)***	5.5 (4.8–6.3)***
Betaine excretion	9.4 (6.0–18.1)	8.2 (4.4–17.7)	7.4 (5.0–13.9)*	8.1 (4.8–15.6)
Dimethylglycine excretion	2.9 (1.5–5.8)	2.4 (1.4–4.3)	3.8 (1.7–7.1)	3.2 (1.8–6.6)*
% on statins	89	81	17	21
% on ACE inhibitors	57	49	17	9
% on angiotensin II antagonists	8	10	0	0
% on diuretics	26	37	6	6
% on aspirin	94	96	12	9
% on clopidogrel	41	30	0	0
% on beta-blockers	88	81	9	9
% on calcium channel blockers	29	41	3	4
% on proton pump inhibitors	39	42	8	5
% current smoker	6	10	–	–

The ACS study data are on subjects who supplied urine samples. Median values with interquartile ranges unless otherwise stated. cr: creatinine. DMG: N,N-dimethylglycine. IQ: interquartile. Plasma (Pl) betaine, dimethylglycine and homocysteine in µmol/L; triglycerides and cholesterol fractions in mmol/L; excretions in mmol/mole creatinine. Significance (based on rank-sum test): difference between study populations,

^*p<0.05;

^**p<0.01;

^***p<0.001; difference between genders,

^†p<0.05;

^††p<0.01;

^†††p<0.001.