A Study Randomly Assigned 60 Adults Diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome

A study randomly assigned 60 adults diagnosed with metabolic syndrome to two groups. One group was given daily tablets containing the Chinese herbal supplement Yiqi Huaju Qingli, while the other group was given daily placebo tablets. All 60 patients maintained their standard medical treatment throughout the 12 weeks of the study. Urinary microalbumin (in mg/l) was assessed for all participants at the beginning and at the end of the study. Urinary microalbumin is a key factor in metabolic syndrome and an early sign of diabetic nephropathy. The researchers also wanted to see if urinary microalbumin was significantly lower after 12 weeks in the herbal supplement group. To answer this question, which hypothesis test should the researchers use?

A) A one-sample t test
B) A matched pairs t test
C) A two-sample t test
D) Any of the above are valid; it just needs to be a t test since σis unknown.