Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics and Levels of Biochemical Variables in Cases and Controls in the Nurses’ Health Study, 1989–2004
| Variable | Cases (n = 365) |
Controls (n = 728) |
P Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | No. | % | Mean (SD) | No. | % | ||
| Age, years | 60.3 (6.5) | 60.0 (6.5) | 0.53 | ||||
| BMIa | 26.5 (5.4) | 25.0 (4.2) | <0.001 | ||||
| Physical activity, METs/week | 10.9 (3.8, 25.2)b | 12.7 (5.4, 25.2)b | 0.23 | ||||
| Alcohol intake, g/day | 1.1 (0, 5.8)b | 1.8 (0, 8.6)b | 0.03 | ||||
| Fasting duration, hours | 11 (9, 12)b | 12 (8, 13)b | 0.18 | ||||
| Current smoker | 90 | 25 | 176 | 24 | 0.86 | ||
| Postmenopause | 310 | 85 | 610 | 84 | 0.89 | ||
| Family history of MI | 77 | 21 | 90 | 12 | <0.001 | ||
| History of diabetes | 54 | 15 | 41 | 6 | <0.001 | ||
| History of hypertension | 187 | 51 | 211 | 29 | <0.001 | ||
| Hormone replacement therapy | 127 | 34.8 | 289 | 39.7 | 0.12 | ||
| Biomarkers | |||||||
| LDL cholesterol, mg/dL | 143.0 (37.3) | 136.2 (37.3) | <0.001 | ||||
| HDL cholesterol, mg/dL | 52.1 (15.4) | 59.4 (16.5) | <0.001 | ||||
| Triglycerides, mg/dL | 124 (87, 178)b | 105 (77, 146)b | <0.001 | ||||
| CRP, mg/dL | 0.26 (0.11, 0.55)b | 0.19 (0.08, 0.39)b | 0.03 | ||||
| GPx activity, U/mg of hemoglobin | 16.34 (3.96) | 16.19 (4.01) | 0.58 | ||||
| CAT activity, U/mg of hemoglobin | 236 (56) | 234 (52) | 0.57 | ||||
| SOD activity, U/mg of hemoglobin | 8.93 (1.61) | 8.83 (1.54) | 0.29 | ||||
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CAT, catalase; CRP. C-reactive protein; GPx, glutathione peroxidase; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MET, metabolic equivalent; MI, myocardial infarction; SD, standard deviation; SOD, superoxide dismutase.
a Weight (kg)/height (m)2.
b Values with skewed distributions are expressed as medians (interquartile ranges).