Table 1. Telomere length and baseline characteristics in all patients and stratified by gender, n = 343.
| Parameter | Total(N = 343) | Men(N = 201) | Women(N = 142) | p Value # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years (min–max) | 40.2 ± 12.4(18–71) | 39.3 ± 11.7(18–71) | 41.6 ± 13.3(19–70) | 0.10 |
| T to S ratio (qPCR), untransformed | 0.86 (0.48–1.85) | 0.88 (0.49–1.85) | 0.81 (0.48–1.64) | 0.007 MWU-test |
| T to S ratio (qPCR), natural log-transformed | -0.14 ± 0.25 | -0.11 ± 0.26 | -0.18 ± 0.24 | 0.007 |
| Smoking, n (%) (n = 342) | 76 (22.%) | 52 (26.0%) | 24 (16.9%) | 0.046 |
| Pack-years in smokers (n = 76) | 12.0 ± 9.5 | 12.6 ± 9.4 | 10.7 ± 9.9 | 0.42 |
| Body mass index, kg m−2 (n = 340) | 24.5 (18.4–41.4) | 25.1 (19.2–31.9) | 23.5 (18.4–41.4) | < 0.001 MWU-test |
| Obesity (BMI > 30 kg m−2), n (%) (n = 340) | 33 (9.7%) | 20 (10.1%) | 13 (9.2%) | 0.77 |
| Glucose, mmol/L (n = 338) | 82 (37–332) | 84 (37–332) | 80 (39–200) | 0.15 MWU-test |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 4 (1.2%) | 1 (0.5%) | 3 (2.1%) | 0.31 $ |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 125.0 ± 9.0 | 126.8 ± 9.4 | 122.4 ± 7.6 | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 79.3 ± 4.8 | 80.2 ± 4.4 | 78.1 ± 5.0 | <0.001 |
| Cholesterol, mmol/L (n = 338) | 196 ± 38 | 194 ± 35 | 200 ± 41 | 0.18 |
| LDL cholesterol, mmol/L (n = 339) | 114 ± 32 | 115 ± 32 | 113 ± 32 | 0.56 |
| Hypercholesterolemia (LDL > 130 mmol/L), n (%) (n = 339) | 96 (2.38%) | 65 (32.5%) | 31 (22.3%) | 0.040 |
| HDL cholesterol, mmol/L(n = 339) | 57 ± 15 | 52 ± 12 | 64 ± 16 | <0.001 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L (n = 338) | 115 (10–432) | 121 (10–432) | 106 (36–370) | 0.006 MWU-test |
| Triglycerides > 150 mmol/L + HDL < 50 mmol/L (♀) resp. < 40 mmol/L (♂), n (%) (n = 338) | 35 (10.4%) | 21 (10.6%) | 14 (10.1%) | 0.89 |
| Metabolic Syndrome # , n (%) (n = 339) | 94 (27.7%) | 49 (24.5%) | 45 (32.4%) | 0.11 |
| Fibrinogen, μmol/L (n = 333) | 269 (80–694) | 260.5 (97–578) | 299 (80–694) | < 0.001 MWU-test |
| Hyperfibrinogenemia (fibrinogen > 350 μmol/L), n (%) (n = 333) | 52 (15.6%) | 18 (9.2%) | 34 (24.8%) | < 0.001 |
| Creatinine, μmol/L † (n = 337) | 0.87 ± 0.16 | 0.94 ± 0.13 | 0.76 ± 0.12 | < 0.001 |
| GOT, U/L (n = 338) | 24 (14–148) | 26 (16–137) | 22 (14–148) | < 0.001 MWU-test |
| GPT, U/L (n = 338) | 18 (2–266) | 21 (2–150) | 14 (4–266) | <0.001 MWU-test |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL (n = 317) | 14.2 ± 1.3 | 14.9 ± 1.1 | 13.3 ± 0.9 | <0.001 |
| Hematocrit, % (n = 316) | 40.4 ± 3.2 | 41.9 ± 2.9 | 38.3 ± 2.4 | <0.001 |
| Erythrocytes, 1012/L (n = 316) | 4.6 ± 0.4 | 4.8 ± 0.4 | 4.4 ± 0.3 | <0.001 |
| MCV, 10−15 L (n = 317) | 87.0 ± 4.0 | 87.0 ± 3.9 | 87.1 ± 4.1 | 0.87 |
| MCH, pg (n = 316) | 30.8 (2.5–35.1) | 31.1 (24.9–35.1) | 30.4 (2.5–34.2) | 0.002 MWU-test |
| MCHC, g/dL (n = 317) | 35.2 (30.8–345.6) | 35.6 (32.9–345.6) | 35.0 (30.8–36.8) | <0.001 MWU-test |
| Leukocytes, 109/L (n = 317) | 5.7 ± 1.4 | 5.5 ± 1.2 | 5.9 ± 1.5 | 0.051 |
| Thrombocytes, 109/L (n = 317) | 243.1 ± 57.1 | 228.9 ± 50.1 | 263.0.0 ± 60.4 | <0.001 |
| Vascular disease, % | 19 (5.5%) | 4 (2.0%) | 15 (10.6) | 0.001 |
| Positive family history of vascular disease, n (%) (n = 342) | 118 (34.5%) | 54 (27.0%) | 64 (45.1%) | 0.001 |
Count data presented as n(%) and continuous data given as mean ± SD or median (range), respectively
# independent-samples t test respectively Mann-Whitney-U-Test (MWU-test) or the χ2 test
† one outlier removed
$ = Fisher’s Exact Test
BMI = Body mass index
LDL = low density lipoprotein
HDL = high density lipoprotein
GOT = Glutamat-Oxalacetat-Transaminase
GPT = Glutamat-Pyruvat-Transaminase
MCV = Mean corpuscular volume
MCH = Mean corpuscular hemoglobin
MCHC = Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
# = Hyperfibrinogenemia and/or obesity and/or triglycerides > 150 mmol/L combined with HDL < 50 mmol/L (♀) resp. < 40 mmol/L (♂).