Table I.
Baseline (1987-1989) characteristics stratified by levels of Romhilt-Estes score
| Mean (SD) or % | Score =0 n=6342 |
Score ≤3 n=8017 |
Score =4 n=416 |
Score ≥5 n=209 |
P value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 54 (5.7) | 54 (5.7) | 56 (5.7) | 56 (5.5) | <.0001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27 (5.5) | 28 (5.3) | 28 (5.4) | 28 (5.0) | <.0001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 120 (18.4) | 121 (18.0) | 134 (24.3) | 137 (29.0) | <.0001 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 216 (42.3) | 214 (41.6) | 218 (42.6) | 213 (49.5) | 0.003 |
| Women (%) | 74.4 | 42.5 | 38.7 | 35.4 | <.0001 |
| African-American (%) | 29.1 | 23.4 | 49.0 | 49.8 | <.0001 |
| Education (≤ high school) (%) | 56.9 | 54.8 | 63.2 | 66.0 | <.0001 |
| Smoke (current) (%) | 26.9 | 24.8 | 34.0 | 37.3 | <.0001 |
| Diabetes (%) | 10.9 | 11.7 | 20.9 | 24.5 | <.0001 |
| Hypertension (%) | 30.7 | 35.7 | 59.4 | 70.7 | <.0001 |
| Use of blood pressure lowering drugs (%) | 26.5 | 31.2 | 53.9 | 64.1 | <.0001 |
| Statin use (%) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.280 |
| History of coronary heart disease (%) | 2.2 | 4.8 | 18.5 | 35.6 | <.0001 |
| Family history of coronary heart disease (%) | 39.4 | 39.7 | 36.8 | 40.7 | 0.669 |
*
Statistical significant for categorical variables tested using the chi-square method and for continuous variables the Kruskal-Wallis was used.