Table 1.
Clinical, biochemical and hormonal characteristics, and prevalence of concomitant diseases of patients’ population at baseline
| l-arginine (N = 51) | Placebo (N = 47) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 50 ± 14 (20–73) | 53 ± 10 (27–71) | NS |
| Height (cm) | 173 ± 6 | 173 ± 5 | NS |
| Body weight (kg) | 77 ± 9 | 79 ± 9 | NS |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 25.8 ± 3 | 26.2 ± 2.7 | NS |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 73 ± 9 | 73 ± 8 | NS |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 136 ± 17 | 134 ± 12 | NS |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 80 ± 7 | 78 ± 9 | NS |
| Fasting glucose (mg/dl) | 102 ± 0.2 | 106 ± 18 | NS |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 161 ± 97 | 159 ± 62 | NS |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 196 ± 37 | 213 ± 37 | NS |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 57.9 ± 18.8 | 58.6 ± 15.4 | NS |
| Urea (mg/dl) | 36 ± 9 | 39 ± 11 | NS |
| Creatinine (mg/dl) | 0.9 ± 0.2 | 0.9 ± 0.2 | NS |
| AST (U/l) | 25 ± 9 | 25 ± 9 | NS |
| ALT (U/l) | 29 ± 12 | 30 ± 15 | NS |
| Total testosterone (nmol/l) | 17.7 ± 5.6 | 19.9 ± 4.4 | NS |
| Prolactin (µg/l) | 11 ± 3.3 | 10.9 ± 3.2 | NS |
| Hypercholesterolemia | – | 1 | NS |
| Hypertension | 11 | 4 | NS |
| Glucose intolerance | – | 1 | NS |
| Diabetes | 3 | – | NS |
| Hypothyroidism (in treatment) | 1 | – | NS |
| Prostatic hypertrophy | – | 1 | NS |
| Diverticulitis | 1 | – | NS |
Values expressed as mean ± SD, (range), or number of cases