Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 120 patients suffering from PHN.
| Parameters | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) (years) | 66.45 (11.34) |
| Body height, mean (SD) (cm) | 158.67 (11.42) |
| Body weight, mean (SD) (kg) | 55.99 (11.86) |
| Male, n (%) | 63 (52.5%) |
| Duration of pain, mean (SD) (months) | 8.55 (7.50) |
| Plasma concentrations of vitamin C (6–15 mg/L) | |
| mean (SD) (mg/L) | 6.34 (3.80) |
| Well-nourished (≥10 mg/L; 56.8 μmol/L), n (%) | 19 (15.8%) |
| Adequate (6–10 mg/L; 34.1–56.8 μmol/L), n (%) | 38 (31.7%) |
| Deficiency (<6 mg/L; 34.1 μmol/L), n (%) | 63 (52.5%) |
| Comorbidities/habits (n, %) | |
| Hypertension | 47 (39.2%) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 31 (25.8%) |
| Peptic ulcer disease | 37 (30.8%) |
| Cancers | 12 (10.0%) |
| COPD | 15 (12.5%) |
| Chronic kidney disease with dialysis | 0 (0%) a |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 13 (10.8%) |
| Smoking (Male: 31; Female: 0; heavy smokers b: 21) | 31 (25.8%) |
| Alcohol intake | 5 (4.2%) |
| Low intake of fruits and vegetables c | 46 (38.3%) |
COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; SD: standard deviation; NRS: 11-point numeric rating pain scale (0–10); PHN: postherpetic neuralgia. a During the study period, two PHN patients suffering from chronic kidney disease with dialysis met the inclusion criteria but declined to join the study. b Heavy smoking was defined as >1 pack of cigarettes per day. c Low intake of fruits and vegetables was defined as having ≤3 servings per day.