Table 1 Clinical and biochemical characteristics of the study population. All baseline characteristics are from time of enrolment

Clinical

 Age, years

64.5 ± 9.7

63.2 ± 9.9

0.75

 Male sex, n (%)

30 (59)

28 (53)

0.54

 Diabetes duration at baseline, years

1.9 (1.0;3.3)

n/a

n/a

24 h blood pressure, mmHg

 Systolic

126 ± 10^a

124 ± 11^b

0.84

 Diastolic

75 ± 7^a

75 ± 7^b

0.46

Office blood pressure, mmHg

 Systolic

127 ± 11^c

131 ± 15

0.08

 Diastolic

80 ± 8^c

83 ± 10

0.03

Heart rate (beats/minute)

65 ± 10^d

60 ± 9

0.997

BMI, kg/m²

29.9 ± 4.7

26.3 ± 3.8

< 0.001

Smoking status

0.38

 Current, n (%)

9 (18)

7 (13)

 Former n (%)

21 (41)

17 (32)

 Never, n (%)

21 (41)

29 (55)

Previous CVD, n (%)

11 (22)

6 (11)

0.12

Daytime physical activity (cpm)

27 ± 15

42 ± 19

< 0.001

Biochemical

 HbA_1C. mmol/mol

48 ± 8

38 ± 4

n/a

 HbA_1C, (%)

6.5 ± 0.7

5.7 ± 0.3

n/a

 Total cholesterol, mmol/L

4.3 ± 0.8

5.7 ± 1.0

< 0.001

 HDL-C, mmol/L

1.4 ± 0.3

1.7 ± 0.6

< 0.001

 LDL-C, mmol/L

2.2 ± 0.7^e

3.3 ± 1.0

< 0.001

Triglycerides, mmol/L

1.6 (1.0;2.2)

1.2 (0.9;1.6)

0.01

UACR, mg/g

0.46 (0.28;1.04)

0.23 (0.16;0.34)

< 0.001

Medication

 Antihypertensive treatment, n (%)

34 (67)

15 (28)

< 0.001

Diabetes treatment

 Metformin, n (%)

32 (63)

0 (0)

n/a

 Sulfonylureas, n (%)

6 (12)

0 (0)

n/a

 GLP-1 agonist, n (%)

0 (0)

0 (0)

n/a

 DPP4 inhibitor, n (%)

2 (4)

0 (0)

n/a

 Insulin, n (%)

4 (8)

0 (0)

n/a

 Acetylsalicylic acid, n (%)

32 (63)

3 (6)

< 0.001

 Statin, n (%)

38 (75)

10 (19)

< 0.001