Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the young adults (n = 52) and elderly (n = 48) study populations.
| Young Adult (n = 52) | Elderly (n = 48) | All Young Adults vs. All Elderly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placebo (n = 27) | Pectin (n = 25) | p-Value | Placebo (n = 24) | Pectin (n = 24) | p-Value | p-Value | |
| Age (years) | 22.8 ± 4.1 | 23.4 ± 4.5 | 0.614 | 69.8 ± 2.4 | 69.5 ± 3.2 | 0.723 | <0.001 |
| Female (%) | 48.2 | 68.0 | 0.148 | 50.0 | 37.5 | 0.383 | 0.164 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.6 ± 2.7 | 23.2 ± 2.7 | 0.444 | 26.2 ± 2.8 | 25.5 ± 2.6 | 0.334 | <0.001 |
| Medication (%) | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 33.3 | 45.8 | 0.376 | <0.001 |
| PPI (%) | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 1.000 | <0.001 |
| Statins (%) | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 1.000 | <0.001 |
| Antihypertensives (%) | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 8.3 | 12.5 | 0.637 | <0.001 |
| Other medication (%) | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 12.5 | 16.7 | 0.683 | <0.001 |
Differences in age and BMI between all young adults and elderly, or between placebo group and pectin group, were tested using T-tests. Differences in sex (i.e., female or male) were tested with chi-square tests. Differences in medication use were tested by Fisher’s exact tests. Values are presented as mean ± SD or percentage (%). BMI, body mass index. PPI, proton-pump inhibitors.