References
Study design. (CONSORT diagram with overview of enrolment and discontinuation. Reprinted with permission from [Mean pre and post values for fasting levels of LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Data are presented as mean ± standard error. * indicates a significant difference between pre and post values. Nutritional composition of FAE, AE, and placebo. Data are provided for 2 bars, which correspond to each participant’s daily intake. Energy percentages in relation to the total energy content in the bars are stated in square brackets for total fats (9 kcal per gram), total carbohydrates (4 kcal per gram), and protein (4 kcal per gram). Reprinted with permission from [Saturated [g]Unsaturated [g]Polyunsaturated [g]Free sugars [g]Abbreviations: FAE: fermented aronia extract, AE: aronia extract.Mean measurements at baseline for completers and non-completers. Reprinted with modifications from [Abbreviations: SD: standard deviation, IQR: interquartile range, W: women, M: men.Overview of participants’ medications. Reprinted with modifications from [Results for 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, inflammatory markers, and blood lipid levels. Results are provided as mean difference (Δ-mean) along with pre and post measurements. However, a ratio (confidence level) is used instead of Δ-mean in case of a non-normal distribution. The data on hs-CRP were not normally distributed; therefore, we compared ratios instead of Δ-means. To clarify, a ratio of 1.10 signifies a 10% increase from pre to post, whereas a value of 0.83 denotes a 17% decrease. All pre and post measurements are provided on the scale outlined in the left column ± standard error. Significant differences are given in bold and marked by *. If several significant values are present in one line, differences are marked by superscript letters.Abbreviations: FAE: fermented aronia extract, AE: aronia extract, BP: blood pressure, Hs-CRP: high-sensitive C-reactive protein, HDL-cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.