Table 3.
Characteristics of study participants according to LTL tertiles (n=2,819)
| Variables | Tertile 1 (N=939) | Tertile 2 (N=940) | Tertile 3 (N=940) | P value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 44.5±15.3 | 39.1±15.2 | 32.0±14.3 | <0.0001 |
| Men, n (%) | 345 (36.7) | 366 (38.9) | 345 (36.7) | 0.9 |
| LTL (T/S ratio) | ||||
| Mean | 0.75±0.12 | 0.98±0.05 | 1.23±0.15 | <0.0001** |
| Median | 0.78 | 0.98 | 1.19 | |
| Range | 0.28-0.90 | 0.90-1.07 | 1.07-2.22 | |
| Interquartile range | 0.18 | 0.08 | 0.16 | |
| Follow-up, years | 5.1±1.0 | 5.5±1.1 | 5.6±1.1 | 0.1** |
| Prevalent plaque, n (%) | 345 (36.7) | 236 (25.1) | 147 (15.6) | 0.2** |
| Plaque progression, n (%) | 221 (23.5) | 198 (21.1) | 125 (13.3) | 0.07** |
| Incident plaque, n (%) | 122 (20.5) | 141 (20.0) | 94 (11.9) | 0.9** |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 33.6±8.1 | 32.5±7.9 | 31.1±7.5 | 0.0002** |
| SBP, mmHg | 123.4±16.7 | 122.3±16.3 | 119.1±14.6 | 0.8** |
| DBP, mmHg | 76.8±10.4 | 76.8±11.6 | 75.4±10.9 | 0.2** |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dl | 184.1±36.8 | 183.1±36.6 | 174.6±36.6 | 0.02** |
| Triglyceride, mg/dl | 173.8±141.7 | 169.5±129.0 | 149.0±134.2 | 0.05** |
| LDL-C, mg/dl | 99.5±29.6 | 100.2±29.3 | 94.5±27.7 | 0.02** |
| HDL-C, mg/dl | 51.2±14.1 | 50.5±14.8 | 51.1±14.4 | 0.1** |
| Fasting glucose, mg/dl | 121.7±58.6 | 113.4±51.6 | 104.2±43.7 | 0.06** |
| eGFR, ml/min/1.73m2 | 97.9±28.0 | 101.7±26.5 | 106.7±25.0 | 0.5** |
| Current smoking, n (%) | 305 (32.6) | 329 (35.0) | 337 (35.9) | 0.8** |
| Current drinking, n (%) | 527 (56.4) | 539 (57.5) | 595 (63.3) | 0.1** |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 347 (37.0) | 298 (31.8) | 196 (20.9) | 0.4** |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 281 (30.0) | 194 (20.6) | 111 (11.8) | <0.0001** |
*
Correction for family relatedness by generalized estimating equation;
**
Additionally adjusted for age at baseline.
Abbreviations: LTL, leukocyte telomere length; T/S ratio, telomeric product (T)/single copy gene (S) product; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate.