Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of women free of cancer according to the assignment groups in the Women's Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study*
| Vitamin C |
Vitamin E |
Beta carotene |
||||
| Characteristic | Active | Placebo | Active | Placebo | Active | Placebo |
| No. of participants | 3824 | 3803 | 3791 | 3836 | 3807 | 3820 |
| Mean age, y (SD) | 60.4 (9) | 60.4 (9) | 60.4 (9) | 60.4 (9) | 60.4 (9) | 60.4 (9) |
| Race, % | ||||||
| Caucasian | 94.0 | 93.9 | 93.9 | 93.9 | 93.4 | 94.4 |
| African American | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.0 |
| Other or unknown | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Smoking status, % | ||||||
| Never | 43.5 | 43.0 | 43.0 | 43.4 | 43.6 | 42.9 |
| Current | 14.8 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 15.3 | 14.9 | 15.7 |
| Past | 41.7 | 41.2 | 41.6 | 41.3 | 41.5 | 41.4 |
| Mean BMI, kg/m2 (SD) | 30.3 (7) | 30.4 (7) | 30.3 (7) | 30.4 (7) | 30.3 (7) | 30.4 (7) |
| Mean physical activity, kcal/wk (SD) | 846 (1167) | 866 (1167) | 845 (1153) | 867 (1208) | 848 (1214) | 864 (1147) |
| History of diabetes, % | 19.1 | 19.0 | 18.8 | 19.3 | 19.1 | 19.0 |
| Family history of cancer, % | 29.4 | 27.6 | 28.1 | 29.0 | 27.5 | 29.6 |
| Postmenopause, % | 77.6 | 77.4 | 77.2 | 77.8 | 77.8 | 77.2 |
| Hormone therapy use, % | ||||||
| Never | 33.2 | 34.5 | 33.0 | 34.6 | 34.3 | 33.4 |
| Past use | 15.3 | 14.9 | 15.1 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 15.2 |
| Current E + P use | 13.7 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 13.7 | 13.9 | 13.8 |
| Current E-alone use | 34.3 | 32.8 | 34.2 | 32.9 | 33.2 | 33.9 |
| No. of mammogram screening, % | ||||||
| 0 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| 1–2 | 30.3 | 30.1 | 29.5 | 30.9 | 30.7 | 29.7 |
| 3–4 | 34.1 | 33.1 | 33.5 | 33.7 | 32.8 | 34.4 |
| ≥5 | 33.5 | 34.2 | 34.5 | 33.2 | 34.3 | 33.4 |
| Colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy during the past year, % | 11.1 | 12.6 | 11.6 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 12.0 |
| Current multivitamin use, % | 26.7 | 27.9 | 27.4 | 27.1 | 27.0 | 27.5 |
| Mean dietary intake/d (SD) | ||||||
| Total alcohol intake†, g | 3.3 (8) | 3.4 (8) | 3.3 (8) | 3.3 (8) | 3.4 (8) | 3.3 (8) |
| Total energy intake†, kcal | 1733 (560) | 1717 (543) | 1727 (551) | 1724 (552) | 1728 (552) | 1723 (550) |
| Total fat intake†, g | 58.3 (24) | 57.8 (23) | 58.1 (23) | 58.0 (24) | 58.1 (23) | 58.0 (23) |
| Total vitamin C intake†, mg | 232 (227) | 233 (230) | 238 (241) | 227 (215) | 232 (221) | 233 (235) |
| Total vitamin E intake†, IU | 124 (196) | 129 (203) | 127 (202) | 125 (196) | 129 (201) | 123 (197) |
| Total carotene intake†, IU | 10 762 (8542) | 10 579 (8559) | 10 754 (8520) | 10 591 (8580) | 10 675 (8357) | 10 667 (8738) |
| Total vitamin A intake†, IU | 13 936 (9665) | 13 711 (9578) | 13 917 (9580) | 13 733 (9663) | 13 821 (9447) | 13 826 (9793) |
*
E + P = estrogen plus progestin; E-alone = estrogen alone.
†
Included 7209 women who provided sufficient dietary information and had plausible total energy intake (600–3500 kcal/d).