Baseline characteristics of participants by aortic stiffness*
| Variable | Total (n = 958) | No aortic stiffness (n = 697) | Aortic stiffness (n = 261) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yr | 64 ± 7 | 64 ± 6 | 66 ± 7 | < 0.001 |
| Sex, n (%) | ||||
| Male | 481 (50.2) | 336 (48.2) | 145 (55.6) | 0.043 |
| Female | 477 (49.8) | 361 (51.8) | 116 (44.4) | |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | ||||
| Chinese | 544 (56.8) | 381 (54.7) | 163 (62.5) | 0.16 |
| Malay | 165 (17.2) | 124 (17.8) | 41 (15.7) | |
| Indian | 218 (22.8) | 167 (24.0) | 51 (19.5) | |
| Other | 31 (3.2) | 25 (3.6) | 6 (2.3) | |
| Diabetes duration, yr | 15 (9 to 22) | 14 (8 to 20) | 19 (12 to 27) | < 0.001 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 26.8 ± 4.8 | 26.3 ± 4.5 | 28.0 ± 5.3 | < 0.001 |
| Waist circumference, cm2 | 89.9 ± 11.7 | 89.1 ± 11.4 | 92.0 ± 12.3 | < 0.001 |
| Waist:height ratio | 0.6 ± 0.1 | 0.6 ± 0.1 | 0.6 ± 0.1 | 0.013 |
| Visceral fat area, cm2 | 129.7 ± 37.5 | 126.8 ± 35.9 | 137.4 ± 40.5 | < 0.001 |
| Fat mass, kg | 35.6 ± 9.4 | 24.8 ± 8.8 | 27.8 ± 10.4 | < 0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 145.3 ± 19.1 | 142.0 ± 17.9 | 153.9 ± 19.2 | < 0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 77.3 ± 8.4 | 77.2 ± 8.4 | 77.7 ± 8.6 | 0.33 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 820 (85.6) | 577 (82.8) | 243 (93.1) | < 0.001 |
| HbA1c, % | 7.8 ± 1.5 | 7.7 ± 1.5 | 8.0 ± 1.6 | 0.021 |
| Total cholesterol, mmol/L | 4.3 ± 0.9 | 4.3 ± 0.9 | 4.3 ± 0.9 | 0.99 |
| High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mmol/L | 1.3 ± 0.4 | 1.3 ± 0.4 | 1.3 ± 0.4 | 0.13 |
| Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mmol/L | 2.6 ± 0.8 | 2.6 ± 0.8 | 2.6 ± 0.8 | 0.45 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L | 1.3 (1.0 to 1.8) | 1.3 (1.0 to 1.7) | 1.5 (1.1 to 2.0) | < 0.001 |
| Dyslipidemia, n (%) | 890 (92.9) | 642 (92.1) | 248 (95.0) | 0.12 |
| Chronic kidney disease, n (%) | 266 (27.8) | 151 (21.7) | 115 (44.1) | < 0.001 |
| Albuminuria, n (%) | 477 (49.8) | 299 (42.9) | 178 (68.2) | < 0.001 |
| Pulse wave velocity, m/s | 10.6 ± 3.0 | 9.1 ± 1.6 | 14.5 ± 2.5 | < 0.001 |
| Geriatric Depression Scale (15-item), score | 0 (0 to 2) | 0 (0 to 1) | 1 (0 to 2) | 0.013 |
| Depressive symptoms, n (%) | 40 (4.2) | 23 (3.3) | 17 (6.5) | 0.027 |
| Cognitive impairment, n (%) | 46 (4.8) | 29 (4.2) | 17 (6.5) | 0.13 |
| Education years, n (%) | 0.001 | |||
| 0 | 66 (6.9) | 36 (5.2) | 30 (11.5) | |
| 1–6 | 304 (31.7) | 213 (30.6) | 91 (34.9) | |
| 7–10 | 415 (43.3) | 312 (44.8) | 103 (39.5) | |
| > 10 | 173 (18.1) | 136 (19.5) | 37 (14.2) | |
| Medications, n (%) | ||||
| Insulin | 301 (31.4) | 175 (25.1) | 126 (48.3) | < 0.001 |
| Oral hypglycemic agent | 867 (90.5) | 638 (91.5) | 229 (87.7) | 0.07 |
| Renin–angiotensin system antagonist | 667 (69.6) | 471 (67.6) | 196 (75.1) | 0.024 |
| Statin | 849 (88.6) | 612 (87.8) | 237 (90.8) | 0.19 |
HbA1c = glycated hemoglobin.
↵* Data for qualitative variables are expressed as n (%), and for quantitative variables as mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range).