The perception of such items is the basis of the aesthetic experience of the higher "background" stratum, which also requires imaginings occasioned by this perceptual experience.
In both background treatment strata, rosiglitazone increased total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and reduced NEFA at 18 months compared with control groups (Table 2).
In both background treatment strata, 18-month HOMA-estimated basal insulin sensitivity was substantially increased in the rosiglitazone groups compared with the respective controls (both P < 0.001; Table 2).
Other strengths of this study include its large population, 12-month treatment duration, use of 24-hour ambulatory BP assessment (as opposed to sitting office measurements) and the consistency of the rosiglitazone effects in the two background treatment strata.
Within stratum the randomized groups were well matched, but the background metformin stratum was younger, more overweight and had shorter duration of diabetes than the sulfonylurea stratum.
However, participants in the background metformin stratum had lower age, higher BMI and a shorter duration since diagnosis than those in the background sulphonylurea stratum.
The ADOPT data comparing metformin with rosiglitazone could be combined (meta-analysis) with the same contrast in the RECORD background sulfonylurea stratum.
In the background sulphonylurea stratum, the trajectory of HbA1c reduction was similar for rosiglitazone and metformin groups (Fig. 2), with no significant differences at 6 or 18 months.
However, such comparisons may be unsafe, as the background metformin stratum was clearly more obese and possibly therefore at higher background risk of cancer, although a little younger [ 9].
Antihypertensive medication was started in the background metformin stratum in 27 (8%) participants (rosiglitazone 13; sulfonylurea 14), additional drugs were taken by 55 (16%) (rosiglitazone 31; sulfonylurea 24), and an increased dose in 18 (5%) (rosiglitazone 9; sulfonylurea 9).
