Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Patients with Chronic Constipation and Healthy Controls
| Variables | Healthy Control Group (n=20) | Flax-Seed Group (n=60) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 70.54±8.76 | 68.68±8.73 | 0.671 |
| Sex (M/F) | 3/17 | 6/54 | 0.918 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 23.14±2.68 | 23.14±2.61 | 0.999 |
| Diet, exercise | |||
| Exercise (per week) | 2.75±2.24 | 2.75±2.24 | 0.790 |
| Drink (mL) | 1210.7±532.2 | 1271.4±528.3 | 0.323 |
| Vegetables (g/d) | 308.9±119.5 | 322.7±135.6 | 0.611 |
| Fruits (g/d) | 182.1±98.3 | 219.6±151.7 | 0.928 |
| Whole cereal (per week) | 3.57±1.91 | 3.07±0.04 | 0.660 |
| Spicy food (per week) | 0.84±0.10 | 0.89±0.12 | 0.924 |
| Deep fried food (per week) | 0.91±1.03 | 0.77±0.80 | 0.587 |
| Soft drink (per week) | 1.18±0.14 | 1.14±0.14 | 0.709 |