Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the total study population
| Patients with normal homocysteine (group 1; n = 140) | Patients with high homocysteine (group 2; n = 160) | Statistical analysis | Significance (p) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 61.4 ± 0.9 | 64.1 ± 1.0 | t = − 2.015 | p = 0.045 |
| Gender, male [n (%)] | 67 (47.9%) | 115 (71.9%) | χ2 = 18.050 | p < 0.001 |
| Smokers [n (%)] | 58/137 (42.3%) | 85/155 (54.8%) | χ2 = 4.549 | p = 0.033 |
| Never smokers [n (%)] | 79/137 (57.7%) | 70/155 (45.2%) | ||
| Pack-years (n) | 11.6 ± 1.9 | 19.4 ± 2.5 | t = − 2.464 | p = 0.014 |
| a | ||||
| Waist circumference (cm) | 104.1 ± 1.1 | 105.3 ± 1.1 | F = 0.62 | p = 0.432 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 29.7 ± 0.5 | 30.0 ± 0.5 | F = 0.20 | p = 0.659 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 129.2 ± 1.2 | 130.9 ± 1.2 | F = 0.96 | p = 0.328 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 79.3 ± 0.8 | 79.0 ± 0.8 | F = 0.04 | p = 0.837 |
| MetS criteria (n) | ||||
| 3 | 60 (42.9%) | 60 (37.5%) | χ2 = 6.723 | p = 0.035 |
| 4 | 63 (45.0%) | 62 (38.7%) | ||
| 5 | 17 (12.1%) | 38 (23.8%) | ||
| Fasting glucose (mg/dl) | 113.0 ± 3.4 | 116.1 ± 3.4 | F = 0.41 | p = 0.521 |
| HbA1c (mmol/mol) | 45.6 ± 1.2 | 43.9 ± 1.2 | F = 0.97 | p = 0.324 |
| C-peptide (ng/ml) | 2.0 ± 0.1 | 2.4 ± 0.1 | F = 7.10 | p = 0.008 |
| Insulin (microUI/ml) | 11.4 ± 0.7 | 12.0 ± 0.7 | F = 0.30 | p = 0.587 |
| HOMA Index | 3.1 ± 0.2 | 3.4 ± 0.2 | F = 0.79 | p = 0.376 |
| Vitamin D (ng/ml) | 23.5 ± 0.9 | 21.0 ± 0.9 | F = 4.06 | p = 0.045 |
| Folic acid (ng/ml) | 9.0 ± 0.4 | 6.7 ± 0.4 | F = 15.76 | p < 0.001 |
| Vitamin B12 (pg/ml) | 414.6 ± 29.6 | 401.0 ± 28.8 | F = 0.11 | p = 0.744 |
| e-GFR (ml/min) | 90.4 ± 1.2 | 81.3 ± 1.2 | F = 26.85 | p < 0.001 |
| Creatinine (mg/dl) | 0.78 ± 0.03 | 0.93 ± 0.03 | F = 15.27 | p < 0.001 |
| BUN (mg/dl) | 37.0 ± 1.2 | 44.8 ± 1.2 | F = 19.11 | p < 0.001 |
| Uric acid (mg/dl) | 4.5 ± 0.1 | 5.0 ± 0.1 | F = 12.32 | p = 0.001 |
| Cholesterol (mg/dl) | 163.4 ± 3.1 | 165.0 ± 3.1 | F = 0.14 | p = 0.705 |
| LDL-cholesterol (mg/dl) | 85.9 ± 2.9 | 87.7 ± 2.9 | F = 0.19 | p = 0.662 |
| HDL-cholesterol (mg/dl) | 53.6 ± 1.1 | 49.2 ± 1.1 | F = 4.10 | p = 0.044 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 122.1 ± 6.0 | 148.8 ± 5.9 | F = 9.50 | p = 0.002 |
| Carotid atherosclerosisb [n (%)] | 111/133 (83.5%) | 139/154 (90.3%) | χ2 = 2.939 | p = 0.086 |
| Carotid stenosis (%) | 19.1 ± 1.6 | 23.5 ± 1.4 | F = 4.19 | p = 0.042 |
| IMT (mm) | 1.02 ± 0.01 | 1.10 ± 0.02 | F = 4.04 | p = 0.046 |
Data are presented as mean ± SE or as frequency and percentage. Evaluation of group differences was done with Student’s t test and the Chi-square test for continuous and categorical variables, respectively
A pack-year is defined as 20 cigarettes smoked every day for 1 year
BMI Body Mass Index, SBP systolic blood pressure, DBP diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c glycated haemoglobin, HOMA (Homeostasis Model Assessment) Index: fasting glucose × fasting insulin/405, e-GFR glomerular filtration rate, BUN blood urea nitrogen, LDL low density lipoprotein, HDL high density lipoprotein, IMT Intima Media Thickness
aAge, sex and smoking were used as covariates to perform further evaluations by general linear models. Therefore, from here, continuous variable values are expressed as corrected means, as estimated by the model
bPatients showing an IMT greater than 0.9 mm and/or a carotid stenosis