Table 1.
Comparison of baseline characteristics between benzodiazepine users and non-users
| Benzodiazepine non-users (n=274) |
Benzodiazepine users (n=62) |
P value (ASD, %) | |
| Demographic characteristics | |||
| Age (years), mean±SD | 65.4±15.0 | 73.1±12.6 | 0.0002 (55.7) |
| Men | 157 (57.3) | 23 (37.1) | 0.004 (41.3) |
| Medical history | |||
| Previous stroke | 28 (10.3) | 7 (11.3) | 0.81 (3.3) |
| Previous TIA | 20 (7.3) | 5 (8.1) | 0.79 (2.9) |
| Coronary artery disease | 52 (19.0) | 17 (27.4) | 0.14 (20.1) |
| Sleep apnoea syndrome | 7 (2.6) | 2 (3.2) | 0.68 (3.8) |
| Heart rhythm disorders | 59 (21.6) | 20 (32.3) | 0.075 (24.2) |
| Vascular risk factors | |||
| Arterial hypertension | 155 (56.6) | 48 (77.4) | 0.002 (45.5) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 59 (21.5) | 7 (11.3) | 0.067 (27.9) |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 124 (45.3) | 34 (54.8) | 0.17 (19.3) |
| Hypertriglyceridemia | 41 (15.0) | 11 (17.7) | 0.58 (7.5) |
| Smoking | 89 (32.5) | 13 (21.0) | 0.075 (26.2) |
| Chronic ethanol consumption | 45 (16.5) | 7 (11.5) | 0.33 (14.5) |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean±SD | 27.0±4.9 | 25.6±4.8 | 0.042 (29.6) |
| Routine drugs | |||
| Fibrates | 17 (6.2) | 6 (9.7) | 0.40 (12.9) |
| Statins | 85 (31.0) | 22 (35.5) | 0.50 (9.5) |
| Oral anticoagulants | 17 (6.2) | 2 (3.2) | 0.54 (14.1) |
| Antiplatelet | 98 (35.8) | 28 (45.2) | 0.17 (19.2) |
| ACE | 47 (17.1) | 16 (25.8) | 0.12 (21.2) |
| Angiotensin II receptor antagonist | 46 (16.8) | 10 (16.1) | 0.90 (1.8) |
| Diuretics | 65 (23.7) | 21 (33.9) | 0.098 (22.6) |
| Calcium channel blockers | 42 (15.3) | 11 (17.7) | 0.64 (6.5) |
| Betablockers | 98 (35.9) | 29 (46.8) | 0.11 (22.2) |
| Oral hypoglycemic | 45 (16.4) | 6 (9.7) | 0.18 (20.1) |
| Intravenous thrombolysis | 78 (28.9) | 16 (25.8) | 0.63 (6.9) |
| Onset to admission time (hours), median (IQR) | 2 (1 to 7) | 2 (1 to 4) | 0.36 (12.8) |
| NIHSS, median (IQR) | 6 (2–13) | 7 (2–18) | 0.42 (12.8) |
| Biological characteristics | |||
| Triglycerides (g/L), median (IQR) | 1.06 (0.81–1.56) | 1.01 (0.84–1.56) | 0.93 (1.3) |
| Total cholesterol (g/L), mean±SD | 1.96±0.49 | 1.92±0.52 | 0.60 (7.4) |
| HDL cholesterol (g/L), mean±SD | 0.53±0.17 | 0.54±0.13 | 0.86 (2.4) |
| LDL cholesterol (g/L), mean±SD | 1.17±0.41 | 1.14±0.44 | 0.61 (7.2) |
| Glycated haemoglobin (%), median (IQR) | 5.9 (5.6–6.5) | 5.9 (5.7–6.3) | 0.98 (0.4) |
| Haemoglobin (g/dL), median (IQR) | 13.8 (12.9–14.9) | 13.5 (12.5–14.2) | 0.077 (25.5) |
| Leucocytes (109/L), median (IQR) | 8.32 (6.75-9.87) | 8335 (6700–10680) 8.34 (6.70-10.68) |
0.55 (8.0) |
| Neutrophils (10 9/L), median (IQR) | 5.40 (4.20-7.40) | 5.85 (4.50-8.15) | 0.26 (16.0) |
| Platelets (10 9/L), median (IQR) | 235 (197–271) | 234.5 (192–274) | 0.88 (2.1) |
| Prothrombin index (%), median (IQR) | 96 (88–100) | 94 (86–100) | 0.42 (11.3) |
| Activated partial thromboplastin time (s), median (IQR) | 32 (29–35) | 32 (28–37) | 0.52 (8.6) |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L), median (IQR) | 4.7 (2.0–9.7) | 5.5 (2.5–9.7) | 0.65 (7.1) |
| Aspartate aminotransferase (U/L), median (IQR) | 23 (19–29) | 23 (20–27) | 0.88 (2.2) |
| Alanine aminotransferase (U/L), median (IQR) | 21 (15–29) | 18 (14–23) | 0.029 (32.2) |
Data are expressed as number (%) unless otherwise indicated.
ASD, absolute standardised difference; BMI, body mass index; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.