3.1 General properties of patients
Table 1 summarizes properties of the patients (N = 53). Males (62 %) and females (38 %) were undergoing elective cardiothoracic surgery for coronary artery bypass grafting, replacement of cardiac valves or both. Their cardiovascular disease had progressed despite treatment with anti-coagulant drugs, blood pressure-, cholesterol- and/or blood glucose lowering drugs and (on average) normalization of risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. They thus represent patients with resistant cardiovascular disease.