Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of study participants, N=753*
| Characteristic | Mean (SD) or No. (%) |
|---|---|
| Age in years | 78.4 (5.3) |
| Women | 487 (64.7) |
| Non-Hispanic white | 681 (90.4) |
| Education in years | 12.0 (2.9) |
| Smoking status | |
| Current | 63 (8.4) |
| Former | 416 (55.2) |
| Never | 274 (36.4) |
| MMSE score | 26.8 (2.5) |
| Fair-to-poor self-reported health | 211 (28.0) |
| Chronic lung disease | 131 (17.4) |
| Other chronic conditions | |
| Hypertension | 416 (55.3) |
| Arthritis | 227 (30.2) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 137 (18.2) |
| Myocardial infarction | 135 (17.9) |
| Cancer (other than minor skin cancers) | 124 (16.5) |
| Fracture other than hip since 50 years of age | 98 (13.0) |
| Stroke | 65 (8.6) |
| Congestive heart failure | 48 (6.4) |
*
One of the 754 participants did not achieve a peak flow (PEF) reading
SD= standard deviation; MMSE= Mini-Mental State Examination19