Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 2501 trial participants by allocation to dietary supplementation with B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, or both. Values are median (interquartile range) except when specified otherwise
| B vitamins + omega 3 fatty acids (n=620) | Omega 3 fatty acids (n=633) | B vitamins (n=622) | Placebo (n=626) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 60.5 (53.9-68.9) | 60.41 (5.7-68.7) | 60.7 (54.7-68.3) | 60.9 (54.5-68.1) |
| No (%) of men | 493 (79.5) | 501 (79.2) | 497 (79.9) | 496 (79.2) |
| No (%) with inclusion criteria: | ||||
| Myocardial infarction | 280 (45.2) | 300 (47.4) | 288 (46.3) | 282 (45.0) |
| Unstable angina | 176 (28.4) | 185 (29.2) | 168 (27.0) | 184 (29.4) |
| Stroke | 164 (26.4) | 148 (23.4) | 166 (26.7) | 160 (25.6) |
| No (%) reaching elementary school level of education* | 375 (62.1) | 364 (59.0) | 370 (60.8) | 376 (61.1) |
| No (%) smoking: | ||||
| Current smokers | 69 (11.4) | 70 (11.3) | 67 (10.9) | 63 (10.1) |
| Former smokers | 374 (61.5) | 368 (59.2) | 378 (61.4) | 397 (63.9) |
| Non-smokers | 165 (27.1) | 183 (29.5) | 171 (27.7) | 161 (26.0) |
| Blood pressure (mm Hg): | ||||
| Systolic | 130.0 (118.0-147.0) | 130.5 (118.5-149.0) | 131.0 (117.5-146.5) | 132.0 (118.5-144.0) |
| Diastolic | 82.0 (75.0-91.0) | 83.0 (75.0-91.5) | 82.5 (74.0-91.5) | 81.5 (74.5-89.0) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.1 (24.7-29.8) | 27.1 (25.1-29.7) | 27.3 (25.0-29.75) | 27.2 (24.0-29.7) |
| Waist:hip ratio | 0.95 (0.91-0.99) | 0.96 (0.91-1.00) | 0.96 (0.91-0.99) | 0.96 (0.91-1.00) |
| No (%) using medication: | ||||
| β blockers | 409 (66.0) | 431 (68,1) | 422 (67.9) | 428 (68.4) |
| Calcium and channel blockers | 86 (13.9) | 103 (16.3) | 79 (12.7) | 86 (13.7) |
| Lipid lowering agents | 531 (85.7) | 544 (85.9) | 518 (83.3) | 544 (86.9) |
| Aspirin or antiplatelet agents | 569 (91.8) | 595 (94.0) | 584 (93.9) | 588 (93.9) |
| ACE inhibitors | 340 (54.8) | 331 (52.3) | 328 (52.7) | 342 (54.6) |
| Angiotensin II receptor blockers | 61 (9.8) | 44 (7.0) | 64 (10.3) | 70 (11.2) |
| Plasma concentrations (mmol/l): | ||||
| Total cholesterol | 4.5 (3.9-5.3) | 4.5 (3.9-5.4) | 4.6 (3.9-5.3) | 4.5 (3.9-5.1) |
| HDL cholesterol | 1.2 (1.0-1.4) | 1.2 (1.0-1.3) | 1.2 (1.0-1.4) | 1.1 (1.0-1.3) |
| LDL cholesterol | 2.7 (2.2-3.3) | 2.7 (2.2-3.3) | 2.7 (2.2-3.3) | 2.6 (2.2-3.2) |
| Fasting glucose | 5.4 (5.1-6.1) | 5.4 (5.0-5.9) | 5.4 (5.1-5.9) | 5.4 (5.0-5.9) |
| Triglycerides | 1.2 (0.9-1.6) | 1.2 (0.9-1.6)) | 1.3 (0.9-1.7)) | 1.1 (0.9-1.7)) |
| Biochemical characteristics† | (n=611) | (n=622) | (n=612) | (n=616) |
| Serum folate (ng/ml) | 6.7 (5.2-8.7) | 6.6 (5.1-8.6) | 6.7 (5.2-8.5) | 7.0 (5.3-9.0) |
| Plasma vitamin B-6 (nmol/l) | 37.2 (28.0-50.6) | 38.7 (27.8-53.8) | 38.0 (29.1-52.7) | 37.7 (28.5-53.5) |
| Serum vitamin B-12 (pg/ml) | 361 (291-455) | 365 (290-468) | 359 (298-455) | 376 (306-474) |
| Plasma total homocysteine (µmol/l) | 12.9 (10.7-16.0) | 12.9 (10.9-15.8) | 13.0 (11.2-16.0) | 12.6 (10.4-15.5) |
| Creatinine (µmol/l) | 78.0 (70.0-87.0) | 77.0 (68.0-88.0) | 78.0 (70.0-88.0) | 78.0 (69.0-88.0) |
ACE=angiotensin converting enzyme. HDL=high density lipoprotein. LDL=low density lipoprotein.
*Equivalent to primary education.
†Some missing data owing to insufficient blood collection or laboratory technical problems.