Table 1 Clinical characteristics of all the subjects and the two subgroups: normal IMT group and abnormal IMT group

Age (years)

55.9 ± 13.0

51.7 ± 12.9

61.1 ± 11.4

−3.374

0.001**

Male gender (%)

57.7

55.8

60

−0.368

0.714

Smoking (%)

23.1

14

34.3

−2.088

0.041*

IMT ≥1.0 mm

44.9

0

100

−9.950

0.000**

Presence of plaque (%)

51.3

30.2

77.1

−4.601

0.000**

CCA IMT (mm)

1.0 ± 0.2

0.78 ± 0.12

1.16 ± 0.11

−14.474

0.000**

Bulb IMT (mm)

0.8 ± 0.3

0.67 ± 0.14

1.00 ± 0.26

−6.754

0.000**

ICA IMT (mm)

0.6 ± 0.1

0.52 ± 0.08

0.66 ± 0.13

−5.630

0.000**

24 h SBP (mmHg)

125.1 ± 15.4

124.5 ± 13.4

125.9 ± 17.7

−0.394

0.695

24 h DBP (mmHg)

81.5 ± 12.8

82.7 ± 11.8

80.0 ± 14.0

0.928

0.356

24 h PP (mmHg)

43.6 ± 8.6

41.8 ± 6.4

45.9 ± 10.5

−2.030

0.047*

Daytime SBP (mmHg)

126.2 ± 15.3

125.5 ± 13.2

127.0 ± 17.7

−0.430

0.669

Daytime DBP (mmHg)

84.3 ± 15.8

84.8 ± 12.9

83.7 ± 18.9

0.284

0.777

Daytime PP (mmHg)

41.9 ± 11.3

40.7 ± 8.4

43.4 ± 14.1

−0.973

0.335

Nighttime SBP (mmHg)

121.0 ± 17.6

120.4 ± 16.0

121.6 ± 19.6

−0.298

0.767

Nighttime DBP (mmHg)

77.6 ± 13.7

78.3 ± 12.8

76.8 ± 14.9

0.484

0.630

Nighttime PP (mmHg)

43.3 ± 10.0

42.1 ± 7.8

44.8 ± 12.2

−1.109

0.272

SBP decrease (%)

2.3 ± 6.8

2.7 ± 5.2

1.9 ± 8.2

0.371

0.713

DBP decrease (%)

4.1 ± 7.2

4.2 ± 5.4

4.0 ± 8.6

0.102

0.919