Clinical baseline characteristics of the 70 study patients
| Data are n (%) or mean (SD). | |
| *Defined as blood pressure ⩾140/90 mm Hg, or treatment with antihypertensive drugs. | |
| †Patients receiving oral antidiabetics or insulin. | |
| ‡Defined as a total cholesterol ⩾6.4 mmol/l or treatment with lipid lowering drugs. | |
| Male sex | 59 (84%) |
| Age (years) | 62 (10) |
| New York Heart Association functional class | 3.0 (1.2) |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 31 (10) |
| Previous myocardial infarction | 62 (89%) |
| Previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery | 15 (21%) |
| Previous percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty | 20 (29%) |
| Hypertension* | 17 (24%) |
| Diabetes mellitus† | 8 (11%) |
| Hypercholesterolaemia‡ | 27 (39%) |
| Current smoking | 15 (21%) |
| Angina pectoris | 40 (57%) |
| Drug treatment | |
| Aspirin/oral anticoagulants | 62 (89%) |
| Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors | 58 (83%) |
| Diuretics | 35 (50%) |
| β Blockers | 42 (60%) |
| Digoxin | 12 (17%) |