Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Men and Women, Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, 1970–1995.
| Characteristic | Men (n=11,258) | Women (n=3,085) | 
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 45.0±9.5 | 44.6±10.3 | 
| Maximal METs | 12.0±2.6 | 9.6±2.2 | 
| Treadmill time (minutes) | 18.5±5.1 | 13.5±4.7 | 
| Low fitness (%) | 12.9 | 11.8 | 
| Moderate fitness (%) | 37.2 | 36.7 | 
| High fitness (%) | 49.9 | 51.6 | 
| Body Mass Index (kg/m2) | 25.7±3.3 | 22.5±3.3 | 
| Lipids (mmol/L) | ||
| Total cholesterol | 5.5±1.0 | 5.3±1.2 | 
| HDL-C | 1.2±0.3 | 1.6±0.5 | 
| Triglycerides | 1.4±1.0 | 1.0±1.1 | 
| Fasting blood glucose (mmol/L) | 5.6±0.9 | 5.2±0.7 | 
| Blood pressure (mmHg) | ||
| Systolic | 122±14 | 113±14 | 
| Diastolic | 81±9 | 75±9 | 
| Stressful occupation* (%) | 36.8 | 17.9 | 
| Current smoker (%) | 13.4 | 8.8 | 
| Alcohol intake (≥5 drinks/week) † (%) | 41.7 | 25.1 | 
| Hypertension‡ (%) | 24.1 | 12.3 | 
| Diabetes§ (%) | 4.1 | 1.9 | 
| Abnormal exercise ECG (%) | 5.5 | 4.7 | 
Data shown as Means ± SD unless specified otherwise.
METs= maximal metabolic equivalents achieved during the treadmill test; HDL- C= high density lipoprotein cholesterol; ECG=electrocardiogram.
Defined as yes or no based on a standardized questionnaire
One unit of alcohol is defined as 12 ounces (3.41 dL) of beer, 5 ounces (1.421 dL) of wine, or 1.5 ounces (0.4262 dL) of hard liquor.
Hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or a history of physician diagnosis.
Diabetes mellitus is defined as a fasting plasma glucose concentration ≥7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL), a history of physician diagnosis, or insulin use.