Table I.
Clinical characteristics of the study population
| Variables | Group 1 (n = 86) | Group 2 (n = 104) | Group 3 (n = 95) | Group 4 (n = 68) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age [years] | 61.4 ±10.8 | 57.2 ±12.1 | 59.7 ±10.4 | 61.4 ±9.1 | 0.149 |
| Gender, male (%) | 47 (54.6) | 91 (87.5) | 75 (78.9) | 60 (88.2) | 0.003 |
| Weight [kg] | 82.6 ±17.2 | 85.8 ±14.6 | 82.4 ±11.1 | 77.9 ±10.4 | 0.156 |
| Height [m] | 1.67 ±0.10 | 1.69 ±0.10 | 1.69 ±0.08 | 1.65 ±0.14 | 0.317 |
| BMI [kg/m²] | 29.8 ±8.5 | 29.7 ±4.5 | 29.1 ±3.2 | 28.3 ±3.4 | 0.322 |
| SBP [mm Hg] | 132.8 ±25.7 | 132.4 ±16.4 | 130.3 ±21.3 | 127.9 ±12.6 | 0.276 |
| DBP [mm Hg] | 88.2 ±16.9 | 78.5 ±15.1 | 82.7 ±17.6 | 77.1 ±12.9 | 0.036 |
| Brachial PP [mm Hg] | 45.6 ±17.4 | 45.9 ±15.2 | 48.6 ±14.4 | 49.4 ±13.7 | 0.542 |
| MBP [mm Hg] | 103.2 ±18.6 | 93.4 ±13.2 | 98.6 ±17.5 | 92.7 ±11.6 | 0.067 |
| Heart rate [bpm] | 75.7 ±12.3 | 77.8 ±12.0 | 72.8 ±10.4 | 75.7 ±13.4 | 0.172 |
| Current smokers, n (%) | 32 (37.2) | 73 (70.1) | 52 (54.7) | 44 (64.7) | 0.014 |
| HT, n (%) | 58 (67.4) | 76 (73.4) | 75 (78.9) | 59 (86.7) | 0.248 |
| DM, n (%) | 23 (26.7) | 42 (40.3) | 27 (28.4) | 30 (44.1) | 0.541 |
| HL, n (%) | 32 (37.2) | 62 (59.6) | 57 (60.0) | 38 (55.8) | 0.133 |
| TC [mg/dl] | 194.3 ±29.1 | 187.3 ±53.9 | 183.2 ±39.0 | 172.9 ±53.4 | 0.408 |
| LDL-C [mg/dl] | 111.1 ±28.0 | 110.8 ±45.3 | 108.0 ±38.4 | 97.9 ±41.1 | 0.616 |
| HDL-C [mg/dl] | 49.3 ±16.5 | 41.0 ±10.4 | 40.3 ±10.0 | 44.3 ±13.1 | 0.029 |
| TG [mg/dl] | 174.0 ±90.0 | 182.1 ±115.1 | 172.6 ±78.8 | 148.7 ±85.4 | 0.634 |
| BUN [mg/dl] | 42.8 ±18.0 | 36.9 ±13.6 | 38.9 ±17.5 | 43.1 ±13.2 | 0.366 |
| Creatinine [mg/dl] | 0.9 ±0.3 | 0.8 ±0.2 | 1.0 ±0.5 | 1.0 ±0.1 | 0.234 |
| eGFR [mL/min/1.73 m²] | 79.2 ±28.0 | 84.3 ±27.9 | 94.7 ±60.2 | 79.3 ±24.9 | 0.396 |
| hsCRP level [mg/l] | 0.44 ±0.4 | 0.91 ±1.0 | 1.75 ±2.2 | 1.79 ±1.2 | 0.001 |
| Fibrinogen [mg/dl] | 264.8 ±44.3 | 272.4 ±48.6 | 294.0 ±58.5 | 317.3 ±66.4 | 0.012 |
Data are expressed as mean ±SD. BMI – body mass index, BUN – blood urea nitrogen, DBP – diastolic blood pressure, DM – diabetes mellitus, eGFR – estimated glomerular filtration rate, HDL-C – high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HL – hyperlipidemia, hsCRP – high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, HT – hypertension, LDL-C – low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, MBP – mean blood pressure, PP – pulse pressure, SBP – systolic blood pressure, TC – total cholesterol, TG – triglyceride.