Table 1. Clinical characteristics, physical activity and medication of study participants by group at baseline.
| Variable | Intervention | Control | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of subjects | 33 | 35 | |
| Age (years) | 58.1 (9.9) | 59.5 (10.8) | 0.565 |
| Women | 24 (72.7%) | 26 (74.3%) | 0.885 |
| Weight (kg) | 92.4 (19.4) | 84.6 (14.4) | 0.065 |
| BMI (kg m−2) | 32.6 (5.7) | 30.9 (4.8) | 0.191 |
| Waist (cm) | 98.4 (16.9) | 94.4 (11.1) | 0.263 |
| VO2 max (ml kg-1 min−1) | 22.5 (4.7) | 23.8 (4.8) | 0.284 |
| Systolic BP (mm Hg) | 138.5 (16.4) | 150.4 (20.2) | 0.026 |
| Diastolic BP (mm Hg) | 83.8 (8.0) | 85.4 (9.5) | 0.352 |
| Self-reported physical activity | |||
| Light, MET (h per week) | 1.5 (0.5) | 1.4 (0.5) | 0.794 |
| Moderate, MET (h per week) | 2.7 (1.8) | 2.6 (1.8) | 0.826 |
| Vigorous, MET (h per week) | 1.8 (2.4) | 1.8 (2.7) | 1 |
| Self-reported education | |||
| Basic | 8 (25.0%) | 12 (38.7%) | 0.246 |
| Secondary | 17 (53.1%) | 14 (45.2%) | 0.531 |
| Tertiary | 7 (21.9%) | 5 (16.1%) | 0.565 |
| Self-reported medication by prescription | |||
| Nitrates | 1 (3.0%) | 4 (11.4%) | 0.188 |
| Antihypertensives | 18 (54.5%) | 18 (51.4%) | 0.798 |
| Diuretics | 4 (12.1%) | 4 (11.4%) | 0.93 |
| Aspirin anti-coagulants | 6 (18.2%) | 7 (20.0%) | 0.85 |
| Lipid-lowering drugs | 12 (36.4%) | 12 (34.3%) | 0.859 |
| Bronchodilatators | 3 (9.1%) | 4 (11.4%) | 0.753 |
| Thyroxine | 3 (9.1%) | 5 (14.3%) | 0.509 |
| Antiulcer-drugs | 4 (12.1%) | 4 (11.4%) | 0.93 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; MET, metabolic equivalent.
Means and s.d. or percentages are given. P-values from t-tests and from χ2-test (education and medication).