Table 1.
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the sudden death victims and of the reference population *†
| Demographic variables | Study subjects n=71 | Reference population n=2380 |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 49.5 ± 7 | 44±9 |
| 25–29, n (%) | 2 (3%) | |
| 30–39, n (%) | 4 (6%) | |
| 40–49, n (%) | 25 (35%) | |
| 50–59, n (%) | 40 (56%) | |
| Male, n (%) | 61(86%) | (46%) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | ||
| White | 68 (96%) | (89%) |
| Black | 1(1%) | (4%) |
| Hispanic | 1(1%) | (3%) |
| Asian | 1(1%) | (4%) |
| Marital Status, n (%) | ||
| Single | 17(24%) | |
| Married | 36 (51%) | |
| Divorced | 16(23%) | |
| Widowed | 2(3%) | |
| Employed, n (%) | 64 (90%) | |
| Education, n (%) | ||
| ≤ 12 Years | 22 (31%) | (17%) |
| 12–15 Years | 23 (32%) | (29%) |
| ≥16 Years | 26 (37%) | (54%) |
| Clinical variables | ||
| Hypertension, n (%) | 19 (27%) | (16%) |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 5 (7%) | (6%) |
| Hyperlipidemia, n (%) | 18 (25%) | (18%) |
| Smoking Status, n (%) | ||
| Current | 34 (48%) | (12%) |
| Past | 9 (13%) | |
| Never | 13 (18%) | |
| Unknown | 15 (21%) | |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 30.8±8 | 28±6 |
| Obese (BMI ≥30), n (%) | 31 (44%) | (32%) |
| Overweight (BMI 25–30), n (%) | 26 (37%) | |
| History of CHD, n (%) | 2 (3%) | (1%) |
| History of stroke, n (%) | 1 (1%) | (1%) |
| History of mental health disorders, n (%) | 11(15%) | |
*
continuous variables are displayed as mean ± SD
†
reference population= 25–60 year-old individuals living in Hennepin County, Minnesota
Abbreviations: BMI= body mass index; CHD= coronary heart disease