Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of users and non-users of lipid lowering therapy. Values are percentages (numbers) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | Lipid lowering therapy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No (n=5436) | Yes (n=2048) | P value* | Statins (n=1007) | Fibrates (n=1036) | P value* | |
| Mean (SD) age, years | 74.1 (5.6) | 73.4 (4.8) | <0.001 | 73.1 (4.6) | 73.7 (4.9) | <0.001 |
| Women | 62.0 (3368) | 67.4 (1380) | <0.001 | 67.8 (683) | 67.2 (696) | 0.61 |
| Education: | ||||||
| Medium or low | 61.4 (3336) | 66.9 (1371) | <0.001 | 65.3 (658) | 68.4 (709) | 0.22 |
| High | 38.6 (2094) | 33.1 (677) | 34.7 (349) | 31.6 (327) | ||
| Smoking: | ||||||
| Never | 62.4 (3393) | 65.4 (1340) | 0.17 | 65.4 (659) | 65.6 (680) | 0.99 |
| Past | 31.3 (1700) | 29.9 (613) | 30.2 (304) | 29.5 (306) | ||
| Current | 6.3 (341) | 4.6 (95) | 4.4 (44) | 4.8 (50) | ||
| Alcohol consumption: | ||||||
| Never | 17.5 (949) | 17.4 (355) | 0.008 | 17.1 (172) | 17.7 (183) | 0.07 |
| Past | 2.8 (152) | 1.7 (34) | 1.1 (11) | 2.2 (23) | ||
| Current | 79.7 (4322) | 81.0 (1657) | 81.8 (823) | 80.1 (829) | ||
| Mean (SD) drinks/day | 1.70 (1.6) | 1.69 (1.6) | 0.10 | 1.77 (1.7) | 1.61 (1.6) | 0.017 |
| Depressive symptomatology† | 12.8 (687/5367) | 12.8 (261/2047) | 0.58 | 12.3 (123/1000) | 13.2 (136/1030) | 0.51 |
| No disability | 91.0 (4906/5391) | 94.3 (1921/2037) | <0.001 | 95 (950/1000) | 93.6 (966/1032) | 0.24 |
| Mean (SD) systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 146.2 (21.9) | 147.6 (20.9) | <0.001 | 147.6 (20.8) | 147.6 (21.1) | 0.24 |
| Mean (SD) diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 82.6 (11.3) | 82.5 (10.9) | 0.54 | 83.0 (10.9) | 82.1 (10.8) | 0.016 |
| Antihypertensive treatment | 41.8 (2270/5430) | 54.1 (1107/2046) | <0.001 | 54.7 (551) | 53.3 (552) | 0.37 |
| Hypertension‡ | 74.5 (4044/5428) | 79.7 (1633/2048) | <0.001 | 79.7 (803) | 79.6 (825) | 0.51 |
| Cardiac rhythm disorder | 13.1 (696/5313) | 14.6 (291/1993) | 0.032 | 15.6 (153/981) | 13.7 (138) | 0.13 |
| Antithrombotic treatment | 13.1 (659/5030) | 18.5 (379/2048) | <0.001 | 21.6 (217/1005) | 15.5 (160/1032) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes§ | 7.2 (371/5153) | 11.9 (233/1958) | <0.001 | 10.9 (105/963) | 12.8 (126/984) | 0.13 |
| Mean (SD) body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.4 (4.0) | 25.9 (4.0) | <0.001 | 25.8 (4.0) | 26.0 (4.1) | 0.18 |
| Total cholesterol, mmol/L: | ||||||
| Mean (SD) | 5.97 (1.0) | 5.60 (0.9) | <0.001 | 5.68 (0.9) | 5.52 (0.8) | <0.001 |
| <5.37 | 26.9 (1381) | 42.1 (818) | <0.001 | 37.8 (364) | 46.2 (452) | <0.001 |
| 5.37-6.18 | 33.8 (1736) | 34.8 (677) | 36.5 (351) | 33.2 (325) | ||
| ≥6.19 | 39.2 (2013) | 23.1 (450) | 25.7 (247) | 20.6 (201) | ||
| High density lipoprotein cholesterol, mmol/L: | ||||||
| Mean (SD) | 1.63 (0.4) | 1.64 (0.4) | 0.16 | 1.64 (0.4) | 1.63 (0.4) | 0.56 |
| <1.41 | 30.1 (1544) | 29.8 (579) | 0.04 | 31.1 (299) | 28.3 (277) | 0.86 |
| 1.41-1.75 | 34.5 (1770) | 35.7 (694) | 33.4 (321) | 38.0 (372) | ||
| ≥1.76 | 35.4 (1814) | 34.6 (672) | 35.6 (342) | 33.6 (329) | ||
| Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, mmol/L: | ||||||
| Mean (SD) | 3.78 (0.9) | 3.40 (0.8) | <0.001 | 3.40 (0.9) | 3.40 (0.7) | 0.99 |
| <3.24 | 26.1 (1336) | 45.4 (880) | <0.001 | 46.3 (444) | 44.6 (435) | 0.97 |
| 3.24-3.93 | 33.7 (1726) | 32.1 (623) | 30.6 (294) | 33.5 (327) | ||
| ≥3.94 | 40.1 (2053) | 22.5 (436) | 23.1 (222) | 21.8 (213) | ||
| Triglycerides, mmol/L: | ||||||
| Geometric mean (95% CI) | 1.14 (0.76 to 1.70) |
1.10 (0.70 to 1.74) |
0.021 | 1.27 (0.84-1.93) |
0.96 (0.62-1.49) |
<0.001 |
| <0.94 | 32.1 (1646) | 38.3 (745) | 0.008 | 23.9 (230) | 52.6 (514) | <0.001 |
| 0.94-1.33 | 35.8 (1835) | 30.2 (587) | 34.0 (327) | 26.5 (259) | ||
| ≥1.34 | 32.1 (1646) | 31.5 (613) | 42.1 (405) | 21.0 (205) | ||
*Pearson χ2 test and analysis of variance for comparison of categorical and continuous characteristics respectively, adjusted for sex, age, and centre.
†Women scoring ≥23 and men scoring ≥17 on Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale.
‡Blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg or antihypertensive treatment.
§Antidiabetic treatment or glycaemia ≥7 mmol/L.