Table 1. Comparison of clinical characteristics of patients in the quartile of homocysteine levels (n = 713).
| Variables | Quartile 1 | Quartile 2 | Quartile 3 | Quartile 4 | F/χ2 | P |
| Homocysteine (μmol/L) Male | 8.33 (7.58–8.90) | 10.23 (9.85–10.60)* | 12.08 (11.59–12.77)* | 15.99 (14.72–19.45)* | 318.807 | <0.001 |
| Female | 6.19 (5.33–6.76) | 8.00 (7.65–8.20)* | 9.61 (9.22–10.18)* | 13.00 (11.74–15.11)* | 200.015 | <0.001 |
| Age (year) | 56.2 ± 10.3 | 56.7 ± 11.2 | 59.9 ± 10.7* | 63.2 ± 14.2* | 13.918 | <0.001 |
| Current smoking [n (%)] | 38 (21.5) | 55 (30.9) | 56 (31.3) | 64 (35.8) | 9.182 | 0.027 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 24.6 ± 2.8 | 24.3 ± 4.4 | 25.0 ± 3.1 | 25.5 ± 3.8 | 3.383 | 0.018 |
| Hypertension [n (%)] | 99 (55.9) | 122 (68.3)* | 122 (68.9)* | 146 (81.6)* | 27.162 | <0.001 |
| Duration of hypertension (year) | 1.00 (0–10.00) | 2.50 (0–10.00) | 3.00 (0–8.00) | 6.00 (5.00–13.00)* | 9.765 | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 129.9 ± 16.8 | 132.9 ± 18.3 | 131.6 ± 19.1 | 138.0 ± 21.4* | 5.963 | 0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 80.7 ± 11.4 | 80.2 ± 12.1 | 79.2 ± 12.5 | 79.0 ± 13.0 | 0.792 | 0.499 |
| Heart rate (bp) | 73.0 ± 11.9 | 71.2 ± 11.0 | 72.1 ± 11.0 | 72.3 ± 12.2 | 0.722 | 0.539 |
| Diabetes [n (%)] | 37 (20.9) | 41 (23.0) | 41 (22.9) | 47 (26.3) | 1.468 | 0.690 |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L) | 5.83 ± 1.70 | 5.79 ± 1.56 | 5.64 ± 1.65 | 5.55 ± 1.27 | 1.214 | 0.304 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4.66 ± 0.94 | 4.65 ± 1.05 | 4.75 ± 1.13 | 4.75 ± 1.13 | 0.414 | 0.743 |
| Triglyceride (mmol/L) | 1.25 (0.87–1.77) | 1.29 (0.91–1.85) | 1.29 (0.93–1.74) | 1.43 (1.06–1.83) | 2.546 | 0.055 |
| HDL-C (mmol/L) | 1.27 ± 0.33 | 1.25 ± 0.33 | 1.28 ± 0.40 | 1.21 ± 0.34 | 1.247 | 0.292 |
| LDL-C (mmol/L) | 2.89 ± 0.92 | 2.82 ± 0.91 | 2.99 ± 1.06 | 2.98 ± 1.01 | 1.174 | 0.319 |
| eGFR (mL/min∙1.73 m2) | 99.0 ± 40.6 | 103.3 ± 35.5 | 98.4 ± 36.3 | 107.4 ± 47.9 | 1.169 | 0.321 |
| Uric acid (μmol/L) | 346.8 ± 91.7 | 360.9 ± 89.7 | 379.2 ± 92.2* | 413.9 ± 113.7* | 15.214 | <0.001 |
| cfPWV (m/s) | 8.73 ± 1.61 | 8.88 ± 1.49 | 9.33 ± 1.69* | 10.4 ± 4.82* | 12.363 | <0.001 |
| Use of ACEI/ARB [n (%)] | 107 (60.5) | 111 (62.4) | 102 (57.0) | 128 (71.5) | 1.313 | 0.236 |
| Use of aspirin [n (%)] | 92 (52.0) | 91 (51.1) | 88 (49.2) | 102 (57.6) | 1.946 | 0.123 |
| Use of statin [n (%)] | 122 (68.9) | 109 (61.2) | 98 (54.7) | 126 (70.4) | 1.264 | 0.285 |
Data are expressed as mean ± standard or median (25th–75th). ACEI: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB: angiotensin receptor blocker; cfPWV, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. *P < 0.016 vs. quartile 1.