2.8. Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 21.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Qualitative variables were presented as frequencies and percentages of patients, and quantitative variables as mean ± standard deviation (SD). For continuous variables, the assumption of normality was tested using the Shapiro–Wilk test. The differences in biochemical parameters and clinical outcomes between treated and control group patients were evaluated by Student’s 