TABLE 2.
Characteristics of study participants in the Nurses’ Health Study 1980–2008 according to average red meat consumption1
| Red meat intake |
|||
| Characteristic | Lowest quintile | Highest quintile | Difference2 |
| % | |||
| Median red meat intake, servings/d | 0.5 | 3.1 | 520 |
| Family history of early MI, % | 19.4 | 19.0 | −2 |
| Hypertension, % | 15.2 | 16.4 | 8 |
| Diabetes mellitus, % | 1.6 | 2.9 | 81 |
| High serum cholesterol3, % | 6.0 | 4.7 | −22 |
| Current smoker, % | 25.5 | 31.6 | 24 |
| Current hormone use, % | 20.6 | 20.7 | 1 |
| Aspirin use, % | 43.2 | 49.1 | 14 |
| Mean age, y | 47.3 | 46.0 | −3 |
| Mean BMI, kg/m2 | 23.9 | 24.7 | 3 |
| Mean caloric intake, kcal/d | 1202 | 2030 | 69 |
| Current multivitamin use, % | 37.9 | 32.3 | −15 |
| Mean alcohol consumption, g/d | 5.8 | 6.6 | 14 |
| Activity, MET-h/wk | 16.9 | 12.4 | −27 |
1
n = 83,644. Adapted with permission from Pan et al. (29). MET-h, metabolic equivalent task hours; MI, myocardial infarction.
2
Calculated as 100 × (value in highest quintile – value in lowest quintile)/value in lowest quintile.
3
Defined as ≥200 mg/dL.