Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants by allocation group

Age (years)

61.0 (8.7)

60.3 (9.1)

Male, N (%)

140 (68)

141 (68)

Body mass index^a

32.3 (4.2)

32.1 (4.2)

Smokers, N (%)

36 (18)

27 (13)

Median (IQR) alcohol consumption (units/week)

2 (0;6)

1 (0;5)

Duration of type 2 diabetes (years)

13.5 (6.2)

12.2 (6.5)

HbA1c (%)

8.6 (1.1)

8.5 (1.0)

HbA1c (mmol/mol)

70 (12)

69 (11)

LDL cholesterol (mmol/l)

2.2 (0.8)

2.2 (0.8)

eGFR^b (mL/min)

130 (44)

126 (45)

Vitamin B12 (pmol/l)

283 (200; 369)

275 (222; 359)

Methyl malonic acid (µmol/l)

0.20 (0.15; 0.25)

0.21 (0.16; 0.27)

Diabetic complications

 Symptomatic autonomous neuropathy N (%)

33 (16)

36 (18)

 Symptomatic peripheral neuropathy N (%)

76 (37)

78 (38)

 Prior cardiovascular disease N (%)^c

45 (22)

55 (27)

 Microalbuminuria N (%)

48 (24)

40 (20)

 Macroalbuminuria N (%)

12 (6)

8 (4)

 Simplex retinopathy N (%)

59 (30)

63 (31)

 Proliferative retinopathy N (%)

15 (8)

10 (5)

Medication at baseline

 RAS blockade N (%)

159 (77)

149 (72)

 Beta blocker N (%)

 Acetylsalicylic acid

103 (54.5)

109 (59.6)

 Diuretics N (%)

74 (18)

 Statin N (%)

170 (83)

181 (88)