[Table/Fig-3]:

Comparison of nitric oxide levels among the groups according to basic characteristics of the patients.

Basic characteristics		Group I (n=73)		Group II (n=76)		Group III (n=74)		p-value1
		No.	Mean±SD	No.	Mean±SD	No.	Mean±SD
Age in years	41-60	20	49.8±14.5a	28	57.0±16.8b	27	72.3±12.6 a, b	0.001*
	61-80	49	44.1±14.9 a	42	60.5±11.6	45	73.3±13.4 a	0.001*
	>80	4	45.4±9.10 a	6	60.7±10.10 b	2	82.5±11.3 a, b	0.001*
Gender	Male	43	47.27±14.30 a	45	59.90±12.93	38	74.10±13.27 a	0.001*
	Female	30	43.75±15.01 a	31	57.95±15.02 b	36	72.21±12.85 a, b	0.001*
Smoking habit	Non-smoker	53	46.32±15.63 a	60	60.17±13.65	58	73.82±12.97 a	0.001*
	Smoker	20	44.19±10.75 a	16	54.05±13.52 b	16	70.11±13.34 a, b	0.001*
Habit of tobacco	Tobacco non-users	45	45.91±15.34 a	50	58.49±14.19	45	74.08±12.58 a	0.001*
	Tobacco users	28	45.53±12.24 a	26	62.91±10.39	29	68.87±14.73 a	0.001*
Alcohol use	Alcohol non-users	52	49.36±14.76 a	60	58.91±13.57	58	73.89±13.18 a	0.001*
	Alcohol users	21	38.42±11.28 a	16	59.55±14.35	16	71.91±12.86 a	0.001*
BMI (kg/m2)	18.5-24.9	5	42.30±14.56 a	6	58.67±12.34	10	69.05±14.59 a	0.001*
	25.0-29.9	27	47.31±15.45 a	25	56.98±12.85 b	42	73.33±12.93 a, b	0.001*
	30.0-34.9	14	43.91±15.02 a	37	59.62±14.11	18	75.13±12.53 a	0.001*
	>35	27	45.31±13.86 a	8	63.51±15.13	4	76.56±12.25 a	0.001*
Waist Circumference	Normal WC	5	43.45±13.26 a	26	59.26±13.59	31	73.45±15.17 a	0.001*
	Raised WC	68	45.82±14.59 a	50	59.07±13.92	43	73.01±11.64 a	0.001*
Past history of hypertension	Normotensive	39	46.57±16.00 a	46	58.79±13.16	36	74.06±15.13 a	0.001*
	Hypertensive	34	44.98±13.01 a	30	59.68±14.90	38	72.40±10.94 a	0.001*
Current hypertensive	Normotensive	12	43.60±19.35 a	9	64.93±18.81	8	73.90±11.89 a	0.001*
	Hypertensive	61	46.07±14.12 a	67	58.86±13.59	66	73.14±13.16 a	0.001*
Metabolic Syndrome	Absent	7	56.85±30.19 a	27	60.50±14.44	60	73.16±13.07 a	0.001*
	Present	66	45.48±14.19 a	49	58.53±13.53	14	73.32±13.33 a	0.001*

¹ANOVA tests (among the groups), *Significant, ^a,bp=0.001 (Post-hoc comparison tests)