TABLE 1.

Age-standardized baseline characteristics (in 1984–1986) of healthy agers and usual agers in the Nurses’ Health Study¹

	Healthy agers (n = 1517)	Usual agers (n = 12,301)
Age at baseline,2 y	58.6 ± 2.53	59.1 ± 2.5
Education, %
Associate's degree	73	78
Bachelor's degree	18	15
Graduate degree	9	6
Husband's education, %
High school degree or less	47	52
College degree	29	28
Graduate school	24	20
Marital status, %
Married	93	93
Widowed	5	5
Separated/divorced	2	3
BMI, %
<22 kg/m2	34	22
22–24.9 kg/m2	38	33
25–29.9 kg/m2	24	32
≥30 kg/m2	3	13
Smoking, %
Never	54	47
Former	35	36
Current	11	17
Physical activity, metabolic equivalent task-hours/wk	19.3 ± 22.2	14.1 ± 19.8
Energy intake, kcal/d	1701 ± 489	1736 ± 484
Alcohol intake, g/d	7.2 ± 10.6	6.7 ± 10.5
Regular aspirin use, %
<1 tablet/wk	37	31
1–2 tablets/wk	38	32
>2 tablets/wk	25	37
Multivitamin use, %	57	61
History of high blood pressure, %	21	32
History of hypercholesterolemia, %	12	17
Family history of diabetes, %	26	29
Family history of cancer, %	16	18
Family history of myocardial infarction, %	16	18

¹Values were standardized to the age distribution of the study population. Percentages are of nonmissing values.

²Value was not age standardized.

³Mean ± SD (all such values).