Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics in Randomized Folic acid/B6/B12 and Placebo Treatment Groups.
| Characteristics | Folic acid/B6/B12 (n = 2,607) | Placebo (n = 2,598) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age, y | 62.6 | 62.6 |
| 40–54 | 22.0 | 22.1 |
| 55–64 | 37.1 | 36.3 |
| 65+ | 40.9 | 41.7 |
| Cigarette smoking (%) | ||
| Current | 11.4 | 12.2 |
| Past only | 43.6 | 45.0 |
| Never | 45.0 | 42.7 |
| Alcohol use (%) | ||
| Daily | 33.2 | 32.7 |
| Weekly | 12.2 | 12.4 |
| Rarely/Never | 54.6 | 54.9 |
| Body-mass index* | ||
| Mean ∀ SD | 30.6 (6.7) | 30.7 (6.7) |
| <25.0 (%) | 22.5 | 20.3 |
| 25.0–29.9 (%) | 27.9 | 29.5 |
| ≥30.0 (%) | 49.6 | 50.2 |
| Hypertension (%)† | 86.6 | 85.7 |
| Elevated cholesterol (%)‡ | 77.6 | 78.8 |
| Diabetes (%) | 21.3 | 21.6 |
| Prior cardiovascular disease (%) | 64.4 | 62.6 |
| Postmenopausal (%) | ||
| Premenopausal | 6.3 | 6.5 |
| Postmenopausal/current HRT | 48.9 | 49.3 |
| Postmenopausal/non HRT | 42.3 | 42.2 |
| Dubious/unclear | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Multivitamin use (current) (%)§ | 22.5 | 23.1 |
| Aspirin use in past month (%)|| | 62.4 | 62.1 |
Abbreviation: HRT, hormone-replacement therapy.
*
Body-mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.
†
Self-reported systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg; self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension; or reported treatment with medication for hypertension.
‡
Self reported high cholesterol, cholesterol level ≥240 mg/dl; self-reported physician diagnosed, high cholesterol levels; or reported treatment with cholesterol lowering medication.
§
Any multivitamin use in the past month.
||
Aspirin use at least 4 times per month.