Table 2.
Characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic constipation by treatment group at baseline
| Characteristics | Flaxseed | Placebo | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | ||
| Number of patients | 26 | 27 | – |
| Age (years) | 55.7 (11.6) | 55.9 (8.7) | 0.955 |
| Years since diabetes diagnosis | 8.7 (3.9) | 8.3 (5.3) | 0.803 |
| No. (%) | |||
| Constipation symptoms | |||
| Straining | 17 (65.4) | 9 (33.3) | 0.032 |
| Hard stool | 22 (84.6) | 14 (51.9) | 0.049 |
| Pain with bowel movement | 13 (50.0) | 2 (7.4) | 0.004 |
| Feeling of incomplete evacuation | 15 (57.7) | 7 (25.9) | 0.059 |
| Digital maneuver | 4 (15.4) | 1 (3.7) | 0.427 |
| Fleeing of blockage | 10 (38.5) | 6 (22.2) | 0.285 |
| < 3 bowel movements/week | 18 (69.2) | 10 (37.0) | 0.070 |
| Therapeutic regimen | |||
| Insulin | 11 (42.3) | 11 (40.7) | 0.908 |
| Metformin | 21 (80.8) | 20 (74.1) | 0.560 |
| Glibenclamide | 3 (11.5) | 8 (29.6) | 0.104 |
| Losartan | 12 (46.2) | 8 (29.6) | 0.215 |
| Metoral | 2 (7.7) | 1 (3.9) | 0.530 |
| Aspirin | 11 (42.3) | 8 (29.6) | 0.336 |
| Statin | 12 (46.2) | 15 (55.6) | 0.494 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | |||
| Normal (BMI < 25) | 4 (15.4) | 8 (29.6) | 0.396 |
| Overweight (BMI 25–29.9) | 12 (46.2) | 12 (44.4) | – |
| Obese (BMI ≥ 30) | 10 (38.5) | 7 (25.9) | – |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 4 (15.4) | 5 (18.5) | 0.525 |
| Female | 22 (84.6) | 22 (81.5) | – |
LDLC low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDLC high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, BMI body mass index