TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the 2284 women (controls) who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study by quintile of telomere length1
| Quintile of z score |
||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | P for trend | |
| Age (y) | 59.3 ± 6.4 | 59.7 ± 6.3 | 59.2 ± 6.5 | 58.1 ± 6.5 | 58.0 ± 6.9 | — |
| Postmenopausal (%) | 87.6 ± 0.32 | 85.9 ± 0.32 | 88.2 ± 0.31 | 87.7 ± 0.35 | 87.2 ± 0.37 | 0.82 |
| HRT use (%) | 64.7 ± 0.48 | 62.3 ± 0.49 | 65.2 ± 0.48 | 61.8 ± 0.48 | 64.4 ± 0.48 | 0.96 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.0 ± 4.9 | 25.7 ± 4.8 | 25.4 ± 4.6 | 25.3 ± 4.5 | 25.3 ± 4.3 | 0.005 |
| Waist (cm) | 80.3 ± 11.5 | 80.0 ± 10.8 | 79.3 ± 10.3 | 78.7 ± 9.9 | 78.7 ± 10.1 | 0.009 |
| Hip (cm) | 101.9 ± 10.2 | 101.4 ± 9.8 | 100.8 ± 9.8 | 101.1 ± 8.9 | 100.8 ± 9.5 | 0.1 |
| Waist:hip ratio | 0.79 ± 0.12 | 0.79 ± 0.10 | 0.79 ± 0.08 | 0.78 ± 0.06 | 0.78 ± 0.12 | 0.14 |
| Weight (kg) | 70.2 ± 13.9 | 68.9 ± 13.1 | 68.3 ± 13.2 | 67.4 ± 12.6 | 68.2 ± 11.2 | 0.004 |
| Height (cm) | 164.1 ± 5.6 | 163.6 ± 5.8 | 163.8 ± 6.0 | 163.3 ± 5.9 | 164.1 ± 5.8 | 0.59 |
| Alcohol (g/d) | 6.1 ± 10.5 | 6.4 ± 10.2 | 6.1 ± 9.2 | 6.4 ± 11.2 | 6.4 ± 9.7 | 0.59 |
| Energy intake (kcal/d) | 1795 ± 494 | 1774 ± 492 | 1771 ± 488 | 1789 ± 507 | 1774 ± 474 | 0.62 |
| Total fatty acids (g/d) | 56.2 ± 10.3 | 56.0 ± 11.6 | 54.6 ± 10.2 | 55.6 ± 10.3 | 54.1 ± 11.1 | 0.003 |
| Saturated fatty acids (g/d) | 18.8 ± 4.4 | 18.7 ± 4.4 | 18.5 ± 4.5 | 18.6 ± 4.1 | 18.4 ± 4.5 | 0.11 |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids (g/d) | 21.5 ± 4.8 | 21.5 ± 5.0 | 20.7 ± 4.3 | 21.4 ± 4.8 | 20.6 ± 4.9 | 0.006 |
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids (g/d) | 10.9 ± 2.9 | 10.9 ± 3.7 | 10.5 ± 2.8 | 10.7 ± 2.8 | 10.2 ± 2.8 | 0.0008 |
| trans Fatty acids (g/d) | 2.6 ± 1.0 | 2.7 ± 1.0 | 2.5 ± 0.93 | 2.6 ± 0.94 | 2.5 ± 1.0 | 0.05 |
| Omega-3, marine (g/d) | 0.25 ± 0.19 | 0.26 ± 0.34 | 0.25 ± 0.26 | 0.25 ± 0.25 | 0.25 ± 0.21 | 0.96 |
| Linolenic acid (g/d) | 0.90 ± 0.30 | 0.94 ± 0.40 | 0.90 ± 0.33 | 0.90 ± 0.30 | 0.88 ± 0.29 | 0.13 |
| Linoleic acid (g/d) | 9.4 ± 2.7 | 9.4 ± 3.1 | 9.0 ± 2.5 | 9.2 ± 2.7 | 8.8 ± 2.6 | 0.0009 |
| Protein (g/d) | 75.9 ± 13.3 | 75.4 ± 13.7 | 75.1 ± 12.9 | 76.1 ± 12.8 | 76.8 ± 13.1 | 0.19 |
| Carbohydrates (g/d) | 200.1 ± 30.7 | 199.6 ± 35.2 | 203.4 ± 33.2 | 201.0 ± 30.9 | 204.0 ± 33.1 | 0.06 |
| Fiber (g/d) | 18.5 ± 5.3 | 18.5 ± 6.1 | 18.8 ± 5.6 | 18.6 ± 5.2 | 19.3 ± 5.7 | 0.03 |
| Cereal fiber (g/d) | 5.0 ± 2.7 | 5.5 ± 4.0 | 5.5 ± 3.5 | 5.5 ± 3.2 | 5.7 ± 3.3 | 0.006 |
| Whole grains (g/d) | 19.9 ± 16.8 | 21.2 ± 18.6 | 21.2 ± 15.0 | 21.5 ± 15.8 | 22.6 ± 17.5 | 0.01 |
| Fruit and vegetable intake | 6.0 ± 2.5 | 5.7 ± 2.4 | 5.9 ± 2.4 | 5.8 ± 2.6 | 6.0 ± 2.4 | 0.77 |
| Vitamin E (IU/ d) | 78.7 ± 179.9 | 84.3 ± 192.6 | 82.3 ± 175.8 | 104.7 ± 211.6 | 93.9 ± 190.3 | 0.07 |
| Vitamin C (mg/d) | 319.0 ± 349.6 | 310.1 ± 336.7 | 340.6 ± 392.1 | 368.5 ± 414.8 | 324.9 ± 344.2 | 0.24 |
| Vitamin D (IU/d) | 332.1 ± 220.6 | 350.8 ± 259.7 | 365.7 ± 252.3 | 374.0 ± 309.6 | 367.9 ± 242.9 | 0.01 |
| Multivitamin users (%) | 34.2 ± 0.47 | 37.6 ± 0.49 | 39.6 ± 0.49 | 43.6 ± 0.50 | 37.7 ± 0.49 | 0.09 |
| Physical activity (METs/wk) | 19.8 ± 20.9 | 20.2 ± 21.8 | 19.9 ± 20.0 | 19.2 ± 21.6 | 19.6 ± 20.7 | 0.69 |
| Smoking status | ||||||
| Never smoker (%) | 45.9 ± 0.50 | 45.2 ± 0.50 | 48.4 ± 0.50 | 48.4 ± 0.50 | 46.8 ± 0.50 | 0.49 |
| Past smoker (%) | 43.5 ± 0.50 | 41.8 ± 0.49 | 40.4 ± 0.49 | 39.6 ± 0.49 | 42.8 ± 0.50 | 0.63 |
| Current smoker (%) | 10.1 ± 0.30 | 12.6 ± 0.33 | 10.5 ± 0.31 | 11.8 ± 0.32 | 10.0 ± 0.30 | 0.76 |
| Pack-years | 12.5 ± 19.5 | 12.6 ± 18.2 | 12.1 ± 19.2 | 11.0 ± 17.2 | 11.7 ± 17.4 | 0.25 |
1
All values (except age) are age-adjusted means ± SDs. HRT, hormone replacement therapy; METs, metabolic equivalent tasks.