Pre–eight-week intervention period participant characteristics according to diet allocation
| Low polyphenol (n=47) | High polyphenol (n=46) | Between-group comparison p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years)* | 55.6 (6.8) | 54.0 (6.7) | 0.235 |
| Male (%)† | 28 (59.6) | 22 (47.8) | 0.301 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2)* | 29.8 (5.0) | 31.6 (6.5) | 0.148 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)* | 141.7 (9.3) | 140.6 (8.9) | 0.589 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)* | 85.5 (6.9) | 84.5 (7.6) | 0.460 |
| Current smoker (%)† | 4 (8.5) | 6 (13.0) | 0.523 |
| Former smoker (%)† | 24 (51.1) | 18 (39.1) | 0.300 |
| Antihypertensive therapy (%)† | 37 (78.7) | 36 (78.3) | 0.999 |
| Lipid-lowering therapy (%)† | 21 (44.7) | 19 (41.3) | 0.835 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L)* | 5.2 (1.2) | 5.8 (1.3) | 0.020 |
| HDL (mmol/L)* | 1.4 (0.4) | 1.4 (0.4) | 0.568 |
| LDL (mmol/L)* | 4.2 (1.3) | 4.7 (1.4) | 0.038 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L)‡ | 1.6 (1.0, 2.3) | 1.6 (1.1, 2.1) | 0.796 |
| Total cholesterol/HDL ratio* | 3.9 (1.3) | 4.2 (1.2) | 0.267 |
| Max response ACh (infused:non-infused) (%)*§ | 123.9 (99.6) | 109.1 (84.7) | 0.447 |
| Max response SNP (infused:non-infused) (%)*§ | 126.3 (120.4) | 107.7 (70.1) | 0.369 |
Bold figures signify significant p values.
*Normally distributed data summarised as mean (SD). Difference between groups assessed using independent samples t test.
†Categorical variables are summarised as n (%). Difference between groups assessed using χ2 test.
‡Skewed data were logarithmically transformed and presented as geometric mean (IQR). Difference between groups assessed using independent samples t test.
§Based on 92 subjects due to missing data for one participant in low-polyphenol group.
ACh, acetylcholine; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; SNP, sodium nitroprusside.