Table 2. Characteristics of patients with CKD grouped according to plaque status.
| Variable | No plaques | cPTmax 1.0–1.9 mm | cPTmax >1.9 mm | p-values (Plaques present vs. absent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of participants (n) | 85 | 69 | 46 | |
| Age (yr) | 54 (44–62) | 67 (61–72) | 70 (65–72) | <0.001 |
| Female sex (n, %) | 43 (51) | 26 (38) | 6 (13) | 0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 28.0 (±0.7) | 29.2 (±0.8) | 29.5 (±0.8) | 0.131 |
| Abdominal circumference (cm) | 96.5 (±2.1) | 104.0 (±2.0) | 107.9 (±2.3) | <0.001 |
| BP systolic (mmHg) | 130 (±2) | 137 (±2) | 134 (±3) | 0.025 |
| BP diastolic (mmHg) | 83 (±1) | 81 (±1) | 76 (±2) | 0.015 |
| P-creatinine (μmol/l) | 138 (120–163) | 139 (120–162) | 151 (126–170) | 0.474 |
| eGFR (ml/min/1.73m2) | 41 (36–52) | 42 (35–50) | 40 (34–44) | 0.175 |
| P-HDL-cholesterol (mmol/l) | 1.50 (±0.06) | 1.63 (±0.08) | 1.36 (±0.07) | 0.780 |
| P-LDL-cholesterol (mmol/l) | 3.2 (±0.1) | 2.9 (±0.1) | 2.6 (±0.1) | 0.003 |
| P-triglycerides (mmol/l) | 1.52 (1.14–2.23) | 1.59 (1.09–2.33) | 1.56 (1.20–2.17) | 0.942 |
| P-glucose (mmol/l) | 5.8 (±0.1) | 6.5 (±0.2) | 6.8 (±0.4) | 0.004 |
| P-ionized calcium (mmol/l) | 1.23 (±0.01) | 1.22 (±0.01) | 1.22 (±0.01) | 0.835 |
| P-phosphate (mmol/l) | 1.03 (±0.02) | 1.02 (±0.02) | 1.04 (± 0.03) | 0.986 |
| Urine albumin/creatinine ratio x 10−3 | 70 (11–331) | 47 (7–343) | 125 (31–639) | 0.506 |
| P-urate (mmol/l) | 0.43 (±0.01) | 0.44 (±0.01) | 0.48 (±0.02) | 0.148 |
| Hypertension (n, %) | 74 (87) | 62 (90) | 43 (94) | 0.333 |
| Hypercholesterolemia (n, %) | 65 (77) | 60 (87) | 38 (83) | 0.118 |
| Diabetes (n,%): | 0.001 | |||
| Type 1 diabetes | 3 (4) | 2 (3) | 1 (2) | |
| Type 2 diabetes | 7 (8) | 20 (29) | 15 (33) | |
| Cardiovascular-comorbidity (n, %) | 8 (9) | 16 (23) | 16 (35) | 0.002 |
| Alcohol intake (units/week) | 1 (0–6) | 4 (0–14) | 3 (1–12) | 0.087 |
| Smoking status (n, %): | 0.010 | |||
| Never smoked | 42 (49) | 23 (33) | 13 (28) | |
| Former smoker | 33 (39) | 29 (42) | 20 (44) | |
| Active smoker | 10 (12) | 17 (25) | 13 (28) | |
| Smoking (pack years) | 1 (0–15) | 10 (0–38) | 28 (0–50) | <0.001 |
| Medication (n, %): | ||||
| Lipid lowering | 32 (38) | 41 (59) | 31 (67) | <0.001 |
| Anti-hypertensive | 70 (82) | 56 (81) | 42 (91) | 0.585 |
| Insulin | 6 (7) | 6 (9) | 11 (24) | 0.091 |
| Oral anti-diabetic | 2 (2) | 14 (20) | 7 (15) | <0.001 |
| Anti-platelet | 10 (12) | 25 (36) | 27 (59) | <0.001 |
| cPT max, mm* | NR | 1.5 (1.3–1.7) | 2.4 (2.2–2.9) | NR |
| Coronary calcium score | 0 (0–38) | 76 (0–378) | 507 (87–1012) | <0.001 |
| Carotid calcium score | 0 (0–3) | 88 (10–252) | 356 (153–1104) | <0.001 |
Values for categorical variables are given as number (percentages), totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding; values for continuous variables are given as mean (±SEM) or median (IQR, 25th to 75th percentile). BMI: body mass index. BP: blood pressure. eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate. cPTmax: maximal carotid plaque thickness. NR: not relevant.
*cPT max was only measured in patients with plaques.