Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the male study population receiving an intervention of dietary supplementation of selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined over four years.
| Active | Placebo | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 55 | 44 | |
| Age (years) | 76.1 (2.9) | 76.3 (2.9) | |
| History | |||
| Smokers (present) n (%) | 5 (7.3) | 6 (13.6) | 0.47 |
| Diabetes n (%) | 11 (20.0) | 8 (18.2) | 0.82 |
| Hypertension n (%) | 34 (61.8) | 31 (70.5) | 0.91 |
| IHD n (%) | 12 (21.8) | 10 (22.7) | 0.91 |
| NYHA class I n (%) | 37 (67.3) | 22 (50.0) | 0.08 |
| NYHA class II n (%) | 12 (21.8) | 18 (40.9) | 0.04 |
| NYHA class III n (%) | 6 (10.9) | 4 (9.1) | 0.77 |
| NYHA class IV n (%) | 0 | 0 | |
| Unclassified NYHA n (%) | 0 | 0 | |
| Medications | |||
| ACEI or ARBn (%) | 11 (20.0) | 12 (27.3) | 0.39 |
| Beta-blockers n (%) | 20 (36.4) | 17 (38.6) | 0.82 |
| Digitalis n (%) | 3 (5.5) | 0 (0) | n/a |
| Diuretics n (%) | 13 (23.6) | 13 (29.5) | 0.51 |
| Statins n (%) | 13 (23.6) | 7 (15.9) | 0.34 |
| Examinations | |||
| EF < 40% n (%) | 6 (10.9) | 2 (4.5) | 0.25 |
Note: ACEI: ACE- inhibitors; ARB; Angiotension receptor blockers; EF: Ejection fraction; IHD; Ischaemic heart disease; NYHA: New York Heart Association functional class; p values indicate the Chi-square test was used for discrete variables.