Table 1.

Mean lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A₂ (Lp-PLA₂) mass and activity levels^* of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants by demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors

Demographic	n	Lp-PLA2 mass	P	Lp-PLA2 activity	P
Age (years)
≤ 50	368	167·677		148·4
51–60	660	169·858		149·1
61–70	625	167·373	0·67	148·0	0·6
≥ 70	502	169·569		146·1
Sex
Women	1165	163·985		136·0
Men	990	174·408	<0·001	162·1	<0·001
Race/ethnicity
Black	510	160·203c,d		135·5b,c,d
Chinese	567	158·013c,d	<0·001	151·4a	<0·001
Hispanic	548	172·225a,b,d		150·0a
White	530	186·110a,b,c		154·1a
Education
<HS	472	166·778		148·5
HS	376	171·142e		145·8
Some college	595	171·715e	0·052	148·3	0·37
College, 4 years	371	168·057		146·2
College, 5+ years	341	164·209b,c		150·7
Lifestyle factors
Current smokers
No	1875	166·715	<0·001	147·5	0·16
Yes	280	182·561		150·8
Alcohol use
Never	587	160·140b,c		143·9b,c
Former	471	174·492a	<0·001	153·5a,c	<0·001
Current	1097	170·958a		147·8a,b
Intentional physical activity (quartiles)
1	550	170·307		150·3
2	527	168·633	0·76	149·4	0·08
3	540	167·977		146·4
4	538	167·835		145·7

HS, high school graduate.

^aMean values with unlike superscript letters were significantly different for the intra-group (P<005).

^bMean values with unlike superscript letters were significantly different for the intra-group (P<005).

^cMean values with unlike superscript letters were significantly different for the intra-group (P<005).

^dMean values with unlike superscript letters were significantly different for the intra-group (P<005).

^eMean values with unlike superscript letters were significantly different for the intra-group (P<005).

^*Unadjusted demographic characteristics.