Table 1.

Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics.

Variable	Value
N	50
Gender [male n (%)]	29 (58)
Age (years)	58.4 ± 9.9
BMI (kg/m²)	30.8 ± 5.7
Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)	128.3 ± 15.5
Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)	74.9 ± 10.2
Fasting glucose (mmol/L)	7.7 ± 2.2
Total cholesterol (mmol/L)	4.7 ± 0.9
Triglycerides (mmol/L)∗	1.6 (1.2–2.2)
HDL-C (mmol/L)	1.2 ± 0.2
LDL-C (mmol/L)	2.8 ± 0.9
Fasting glucose (mmol/L)	7.7 ± 2.2
HbA1c (mmol/mol)	54.3 ± 12.6
Duration of diabetes (years)∗	5.5 (2.0–9.25)
Presence of hypertension	31 (62)
Smokers	21 (42)
Treatment with sulphonylureas	26 (52)
Treatment with metformin	47 (94)
Treatment with meglitinides	1 (2)
Treatment with thiazolidinediones	8 (16)
Treatment with sitagliptin	10 (20)

(Data are presented as mean (±SD) or as n (%).

∗Median value (interquartile range).

BMI: body mass index, HDL-C: high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and LDL-C: low density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg or the use of antihypertensive medication.