Table 1.
Comparison of selected baseline characteristics of subjects based on serological and histological atrophic gastritis
| Baseline characteristics | All participants n = 20,928 |
Normal serum pepsinogen 1 level (≥ 25 µg/l) n = 19,263 |
Low serum pepsinogen 1 level (< 25 µg/l) n = 1,665 |
P value* | Histologically- confirmed atrophic gastritis n = 1,006 |
P value‡ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomization assignment | ||||||
| Placebo | 5,229 (25.0) | 4,836 (25.1) | 393 (23.6) | 237 (23.6) | ||
| Beta-carotene | 5,214 (24.9) | 4,801 (24.9) | 413 (24.8) | 0.195 | 251 (25.0) | 0.335 |
| Alpha-tocopherol | 5,248 (25.1) | 4,840 (25.1) | 408 (24.5) | 244 (24.3) | ||
| Alpha-tocopherol and Beta-carotene |
5,237 (25.0) | 4,786 (24.9) | 451 (27.1) | 274 (27.2) | ||
| Age, years (SD) | 56.9 (5.0) | 56.8 (4.9) | 59.8 (5.2) | <0.001 | 58.6 (5.2) | <0.001 |
| Married, n (%) | 17,336 (82.8) | 15,961 (82.9) | 1,375 (82.6) | 0.775 | 848 (84.3) | 0.238 |
| Junior high school education or more, n (%) |
3,440 (16.4) | 3,277 (17.0) | 163 (9.8) | <0.001 | 111 (11.0) | <0.001 |
| Cigarette smoking habits | ||||||
| Duration, years (SD) | 35.5 (8.4) | 35.3 (8.4) | 37.4 (8.7) | <0.001 | 36.8 (9.0) | <0.001 |
| Cigarettes smoked/day (SD) |
20.2 (8.8) | 20.3 (8.9) | 19.4 (8.0) | <0.001 | 19.3 (7.9) | <0.001 |
| Alcohol use, g/day (SD) | 17.3 (20.2) | 17.4 (20.3) | 16.0 (19.8) | <0.001 | 15.7 (18.9) | 0.008 |
| Red meat intake, g/day | 22.2 (10.2) | 22.2 (10.2) | 22.1 (10.2) | 0.546 | 22.3 (9.9) | 0.596 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 (SD) |
26.3 (3.7) | 26.4 (3.7) | 25.8 (3.8) | <0.001 | 25.8 (3.7) | <0.001 |
| Frequency of 30-minute leisure physical activity per week | ||||||
| <1 | 10,639 (50.9) | 9,798 (50.9) | 841 (50.5) | 506 (50.3) | ||
| 1–2 | 6,268 (30.0) | 5,801 (30.2) | 467 (28.1) | 0.026 | 287 (28.6) | 0.191 |
| ≥ 3 | 3,990 (19.1) | 3,634 (18.9) | 356 (21.4) | 212 (21.1) | ||
| Self-reported medical history | ||||||
| Peptic ulcer disease, n (%) | 3,489 (16.7) | 3,124 (16.2) | 365 (21.9) | <0.001 | 202 (20.1) | 0.001 |
| Partial gastrectomy, n (%) | 653 (3.3) | 449 (2.5) | 204 (13.0) | <0.001 | 119 (12.2) | <0.001 |
| Family cancer history | ||||||
| Colorectal cancer, n (%) | 472 (2.7) | 440 (2.7) | 32 (2.4) | 0.504 | 19 (2.3) | 0.444 |
| Stomach cancer, n (%) | 2,313 (13.3) | 2,073 (13.0) | 240 (18.1) | <0.001 | 164 (19.6) | <0.001 |
*
For comparison between participants with normal versus low serum pepsinogen I levels
‡
For comparison between participants with normal serum pepsinogen I level versus histologically-confirmed atrophic gastritis