Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the subjects participating in the study.
| All Volunteers (n = 198) |
Control Group (n = 100) |
Probiotic Group (n = 98) |
p between-Groups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | Mean ± SD | 83.13 ± 9.13 | 83.97 ±8.99 | 82.28 ± 9.22 | 0.192 |
| Median (IQR) | 85 (77–90) | 86 (77–90) | 84 (77–90) | ||
| Nursing home | 0.992 | ||||
| Sta Olalla | n (%) | 39 (19.7%) | 20 (20.0%) | 19 (19.4%) | |
| San Marcos | n (%) | 91 (46%) | 46 (46.0%) | 45 (45.9%) | |
| San Simon | n (%) | 68 (34.3%) | 34 (34.0%) | 34 (34.7%) | |
| Sex | 0.356 | ||||
| Men | n (%) | 73 (36.9%) | 40 (40.0%) | 33 (33.7%) | |
| Women | n (%) | 125 (63.1%) | 60 (60.0%) | 65 (66.3%) | |
| Postural control | 0.345 | ||||
| Stand upright | n (%) | 138 (69.7%) | 65 (65.0%) | 73 (74.5%) | |
| Non-stand upright | n (%) | 21 (10.6%) | 12 (12.0%) | 9 (9.2%) | |
| Bedridden patient | n (%) | 39 (19.7%) | 23 (23.0%) | 16 (16.3%) | |
| BMI (kg/m2) 1 | Mean ± SD | 26.63 ± 5.11 | 26.25 ± 4.92 | 26.96 ± 5.28 | 0.411 |
| Obesity | n (%) | 42 (21.2%) | 21 (21.0%) | 21 (21.4%) | 0.941 |
| Low weight | n (%) | 34 (17.2%) | 15 (15.0%) | 19 (19.4%) | 0.413 |
| Smokers | n (%) | 18 (9.1%) | 8 (8.0%) | 10 (10.2%) | 0.590 |
| Former alcoholics | n (%) | 10 (5.1%) | 4 (4.0%) | 6 (6.1%) | 0.495 |
| Dyslipidemia | n (%) | 80 (40.4%) | 38 (38.0%) | 42 (42.9%) | 0.486 |
| Hypertension | n (%) | 125 (63.1%) | 63 (63.0%) | 62 (63.3%) | 0.969 |
| Diabetes Mellitus | n (%) | 47 (23.7%) | 23 (23.0%) | 24 (24.5%) | 0.805 |
| Cardiovascular Disease | n (%) | 77 (38.9%) | 41 (41.0%) | 36 (36.7%) | 0.538 |
| Cognitive Diseases 2 | n (%) | 91 (46.0%) | 47 (47.0%) | 44 (44.9%) | 0.767 |
| Chronic Lung Disease | n (%) | 27 (13.6%) | 15 (15.0%) | 12 (12.2%) | 0.572 |
| Renal disease | n (%) | 21 (10.6%) | 12 (12.0%) | 9 (9.2%) | 0.520 |
| Hepatic disease | n (%) | 7 (3.5%) | 4 (4.0%) | 3 (3.1%) | 0.721 |
| Previous cancer diagnosis | n (%) | 18 (9.1%) | 3 (3.0%) | 15 (15.3%) | 0.003 |
| Rheumatic diseases 3 | n (%) | 57 (28.8%) | 27 (27.0%) | 30 (30.4%) | 0.562 |
| Psychiatric diseases 4 | n (%) | 82 (41.4%) | 36 (36.0%) | 46 (46.9%) | 0.118 |
| Disease Index 5 | Mean ± SD | 3.20 ± 1.62 | 3.09 ± 1.66 | 3.32 ± 1.58 | 0.328 |
| Median (IQR) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–4) | ||
| Number of habitual medications | Median (IQR) | 8 (5–11) | 7.5 (5–10) | 9 (6–11) | 0.108 |
Values are mean ± SD and/or median (IQR) for continuous variables and n (%) for categorical variables. p indicates differences between the control group and the probiotic group 1. BMI were calculated in volunteers that stand upright 2. Cognitive Diseases included Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Dementia 3. Rheumatic diseases not under immunosuppressive therapies 4. Psychiatric diseases included bipolar disease, major depression, and schizophrenia 5. Disease Index included the sum of HTA, T2DM, CVD, Lung diseases, oncology disease in the past, rheumatology diseases, cognitive diseases, psychiatric diseases, renal diseases, hepatic diseases, and dyslipidemia.