Table 2.
Clinical Characteristics of the Patients (N = 52) With Physically Young (N = 26) Compared to Physically Old Plaques (N = 26) as Divided by the Median Plaque Age (≤8.7 Years or >8.7 Years, Respectively)
| Patients With Physically Young Plaques | Patients With Physically Old Plaques | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 73 (66-81) | 75 (67-80) |
| Male | 19 (73) | 16 (62) |
| Preoperative symptoms | 21 (81) | 17 (65) |
| Smoking | ||
| Current smokers | 7 (26) | 8 (31) |
| Past smokers | 8 (31) | 10 (38) |
| Nonsmokersa | 11 (42) | 8 (31) |
| Diabetes | 10 (38) | 10 (38) |
| Hypertensionb | 23 (88) | 20 (77) |
| Lipid-lowering treatment | 16 (62) | 12 (46) |
| Degree of stenosis, % | 88 (75-95) | 85 (80-95) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 29 (26-31) | 25 (22-28)c |
| Fasting lipoproteins, mmol/L | ||
| Cholesterol | 4.6 (4.0-5.7) | 4.3 (3.3-5.2) |
| Low-density lipoprotein | 2.8 (2.2-3.9) | 2.7 (1.9-3.4) |
| High-density lipoprotein | 0.9 (0.8-1.2) | 1.0 (0.9-1.4) |
| Triglycerides | 1.5 (1.2-1.9) | 1.4 (0.8-1.7) |
Values are median (interquartile range) or n (%).
a
Not actively smoking for >6 months before surgery.
b
Systolic blood pressure of >140 mm Hg or antihypertension treatment.
c
Significant differences comparing physically young and old plaques are shown as P < 0.05; chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparisons.