Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of subjects with and without plaque.
| Plaque (-) (n = 90) | P value | Plaque (+) (n = 63) | Plaque score = 1 (n = 31) | Plaque score ≥ 2 (n = 32) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 62 ± 10 | <0.001 | 69 ± 9 | 68 ± 9 | 70 ± 8 |
| Gender (male) | 42 (47%) | <0.025 | 42 (67%) | 20 (65%) | 22 (69%) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 23.1 ± 3.4 | NS | 22.9 ± 3.9 | 22.8 ± 4.0 | 23.0 ± 4.0 |
| Hypertension | 43 (48%) | NS | 35 (56%) | 15 (48%) | 20 (63%) |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | 124 ± 14 | NS | 128 ± 16 | 128 ± 15 | 128 ± 18 |
| DM | 4 (4%) | NS | 6 (10%) | 3 (10%) | 3 (9%) |
| HbA1c (%) | 5.8 ± 0.4 | NS | 5.9 ± 0.8 | 6.1 ± 1.0 | 5.8 ± 0.5 |
| Smoking | 10 (11%) | NS | 5 (8%) | 3 (10%) | 2 (6%) |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 38 (42%) | NS | 26 (41%) | 13 (42%) | 13 (42%) |
| Statin | 17 (19%) | NS | 11 (17%) | 6 (19%) | 5 (16%) |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 127 ± 32 | NS | 124 ± 32 | 123 ± 31 | 124 ± 34 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 62 ± 17 | NS | 63 ± 15 | 65 ± 16 | 62 ± 14 |
| Hypertriglyceridemia | 19 (21%) | NS | 14 (9%) | 6 (19%) | 3 (9%) |
| TG (mg/dL) | 111 ± 103 | NS | 95 ± 53 | 96 ± 64 | 94 ± 39 |
| hsCRP levels (mg/L) | 0.34 [0.19, 0.68] | NS | 0.38 [0.19, 0.83] | 0.35 [0.14, 0.68] | 0.38 [0.19, 0.90] |
| Betatrophin levels (pg/mL) | 729 [569, 1046] | <0.025 | 906 [728, 1116] | 802 [672, 976] | 978 [819, 1139] |
| Betatrophin >800 pg/mL | 40 (44%) | <0.025 | 41 (65%) | 16 (52%) | 25 (78%) |
| Carotid ultrasonography | |||||
| Mean IMT (mm) | 0.77 ± 0.13 | <0.001 | 0.87 ± 0.17 | 0.86 ± 0.18 | 0.88 ± 0.16 |
| Plaque score | 0.0 ± 0.0 | <0.001 | 1.7 ± 0.9 | 1.0 ± 0.0 | 2.4 ± 0.7 |
Data represent the mean ± SD or the number (%) of subjects, except for hsCRP and betatrophin levels presented as the median value and interquartile range. SBP = systolic blood pressure; TG = triglyceride.