Table 1.
Clinical Characteristics at Baseline and at the End of the Study Period
| Parameter | Baseline | End of the study period | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 45±9 | 48±9 | <0.01 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.0±3.0 | 24.2±3.1 | <0.01 |
| Current smoking | 543 (29) | 456 (24) | <0.01 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 123±14 | 121±14 | <0.01 |
| Heart rate (beats/min) | 69±10 | 68±10 | <0.01 |
| Uric acid (mg/dL) | 6.2±1.2 | 6.1±1.2 | <0.01 |
| Hemoglobin (g/L) | 14.9±1.0 | 14.6±0.9 | <0.01 |
| LDL-C (mg/dL) | 129±31 | 128±32 | 0.63 |
| HDL-C (mg/dL) | 63±16 | 65±16 | <0.01 |
| TG (mg/dL) | 130±118 | 125±90 | 0.02 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.88±0.48 | 0.85±0.39 | <0.01 |
| HbA1c (%) | 5.2±0.5 | 5.1±0.6 | <0.01 |
| Serum NT-proBNP (pg/mL) | 18 [8–31] | 24 [14–38] | <0.01 |
| baPWV (cm/s) | 1,291±187 | 1,317±203 | <0.01 |
| Ankle brachial index | 1.14±0.73 | 1.15±0.71 | 0.01 |
| PEP/ET ratio | 0.35 [0.32–0.38] | 0.36 [0.32–0.39] | <0.01 |
| Medication history | |||
| Hypertension | 172 (9) | 261 (14) | <0.01 |
| Dyslipidemia | 67 (4) | 115 (6) | <0.01 |
| Diabetes | 51 (3) | 73 (4) | <0.01 |
| Hyperuricemia | 68 (4) | 81 (4) | <0.01 |
Continuous variables are presented as the mean±SD if normally distributed and as the median [interquartile range] if not; categorical variables are presented as n (%). baPWV, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity; BMI, body mass index; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide; PEP/ET, pre-ejection period/ejection time; SBP, systolic blood pressure; TG, triglyceride.