Table 1.
Characteristics of patients allocated to tight and less tight control of blood pressure. Values are numbers (percentages) of patients unless stated otherwise
| Tight (n=758) | Less tight (n=390) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 56.4 (8.1) | 56.5 (8.1) |
| Male sex | 410 (54) | 227 (58) |
| Ethnic group: | ||
| White | 651 (86) | 344 (88) |
| Afro-Caribbean | 62 (8) | 25 (6) |
| Asian Indian | 39 (5) | 17 (4) |
| Other | 6 (1) | 4 (1) |
| Mean (SD) body mass index (kg/m2) | 29.8 (5.5) | 29.3 (5.5) |
| Median (interquartile range) fasting plasma glucose (mmol/l) | 7.4 (6.1 to 9.2) | 7.4 (6.2 to 9.8) |
| Mean (SD) haemoglobin A1c (%) | 6.9 (1.7) | 6.8 (1.5) |
| Mean (SD) blood pressure (mm Hg): | ||
| Systolic | 159 (20) | 160 (18) |
| Diastolic | 94 (10) | 94 (9) |
| Receiving antihypertensive treatment | 286 (36) | 145 (37) |
| Smoking: | ||
| No of patients | 746 | 379 |
| Non-smoker | 281 (38) | 142 (38) |
| Ex-smoker | 294 (39) | 152 (40) |
| Current smoker | 171 (23) | 85 (22) |
| Urinary albumin (mg/l)*: | ||
| ⩾50 | 114 (18) | 53 (16) |
| ⩾300 | 18 (3) | 13 (4) |
| Retinopathy: | ||
| No of patients | 617 | 312 |
| 20 20 or worse | 143 (23) | 89 (29) |
| 35 35 or worse | 45 (7) | 32 (10) |
| Mean (SD) cholesterol (mmol/l): | ||
| Total | 5.5 (1.1) | 5.6 (1.1) |
| HDL | 1.10 (0.27) | 1.10 (0.28) |
| LDL | 3.6 (1.1) | 3.6 (1.1) |
| Geometric mean (1SD interval) triglyceride (mmol/l) | 1.6 (0.9 to 2.6) | 1.6 (0.9 to 2.8) |
| Median duration (interquartile range) of diabetes (years) | 2.7 (1.0 to 4.2) | 2.5 (1.0 to 4.4) |
| Treatment for diabetes: | ||
| Diet | 175 (29) | 89 (29) |
| Sulphonylurea | 200 (34) | 103 (34) |
| Metformin | 41 (8) | 23 (7) |
| Combined oral hypoglycaemic agents | 28 (5) | 16 (5) |
| Insulin | 144 (23) | 70 (24) |
| Other | 6 (1) | 1 (1) |
HDL=high density lipoprotein.
LDL=low density lipoprotein.
*
Corrected to urinary creatinine concentration of 8 mmol/l.