Table 2.
Baseline clinical characteristics of the sample as frequency and percentage (N=124)
| Variable | Experimental group (n=64) | Control group (n=60) |
p-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f | % | f | % | ||
| Duration of treatment | 0.864 | ||||
| <6 months | 13 | 12.1 | 11 | 10.7 | |
| 6–12 months | 1 | 0.9 | 2 | 1.9 | |
| >1 year | 50 | 46.7 | 47 | 45.6 | |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 0.170 | ||||
| Underweight (<18.5) | 3 | 2.8 | 4 | 3.9 | |
| Normal (18.5–24.9) | 42 | 39.3 | 28 | 27.2 | |
| Overweight (25–29.9) | 18 | 16.8 | 25 | 14.3 | |
| Obese (>30) | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2.9 | |
| Comorbidities | 0.113 | ||||
| Diabetes mellitus | 26 | 24.3 | 39 | 37.9 | |
| Chronic ischemic heart disease | 9 | 8.4 | 3 | 2.9 | |
| Dyslipidemia | 1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 | |
| Chronic rheumatism | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| No comorbidities | 28 | 26.2 | 18 | 17.5 | |
| More than one comorbidity | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Number of medications | 0.681 | ||||
| 1–4 | 44 | 68.7 | 44 | 73.3 | |
| 5–8 | 18 | 28.1 | 15 | 25 | |
| 9–12 | 2 | 3.1 | 1 | 1.6 | |
| Class of antihypertensives | 0.742 | ||||
| ACE inhibitors | 13 | 20.3 | 14 | 23.3 | |
| Angiotensin II antagonists | 6 | 9.3 | 6 | 10 | |
| ACE inhibitors + diuretics | 2 | 3.1 | 2 | 3.3 | |
| Beta blockers | 12 | 18.7 | 8 | 13.3 | |
| Angiotensin II antagonists + calcium antagonists | 9 | 14.1 | 8 | 1.6 | |
| Beta blockers + ACE inhibitors | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | ||
| Beta blockers + calcium antagonists | 14 | 21.8 | 8 | 13.3 | |
| Calcium antagonists | 7 | 10.9 | 13 | 21.6 | |
Note: p<0.05.
Abbreviation: ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme.