Table 1.

Patient characteristics

	Controls (n = 16710)	MGUS (n = 605)
Age in years (as of 1 January 1995), mean (s.d.)	64.5 (10.6)	70.4 (11.1)
Age in years at MGUS diagnosis, mean (s.d.)	NA	69.7 (11.0)
Gender, female %	55.2	48.9
Follow-up in years, mean (range)	25.14 (0.01–31.4)	24.64 (0.11–30.57)
Total follow up, person-years	420116.37	14904.25
Type of monoclonal protein, no. of patients (%)
IgA		67 (11.1%)
IgG		417 (68.9%)
IgM		103 (17.0%)
Biclonal		17 (2.8%)
Unknown		1 (0.2%)

Abbreviation: MGUS, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance; NA, not applicable