Table 1.

Age-standardised baseline characteristics of 39,610 participants of the COSM, by categories of egg consumption

Characteristic	Egg consumption, times/week (median)
	<1 (0.5)	1–2 (1.5)	3–4 (3.5)	≥5 (7)
Participants, n	18,731	16,249	3,102	1,528
Age (mean ± SD), years	60.0 ± 9.6	60.1 ± 9.6	60.9 ± 9.4	61.6 ± 9.5
BMI (mean), kg/m2	26	26	26	26
Total physical activity (mean), MET-h/day	41	42	42	42
University education, %	16	18	17	16
Current smokers, %	24	24	29	33
Alcohol (mean), g/day	14	16	19	22
Energy intake (mean), kJ/day	10,600	11,600	12,200	13,500
History of CVD, %	11	10	8	9
Food intake
Coffee (mean), cups/day	3.5	3.5	3.6	3.8
Red meat (mean), g/day	55	62	67	85
Processed meat (mean), g/day	36	43	48	63
Fish (mean), g/day	29	33	36	50
Fruit (mean), g/day	170	190	200	210
Vegetables (mean), g/day	130	140	150	170
White bread (mean), g/day	93	96	101	107
Caviara (mean), g/day	2.3	3.2	4.4	7.2
Sweet buns/biscuits (mean), g/day	22	23	23	25
Fibreb (mean), g/day	31	30	29	28
Dietary cholesterolb (mean), mg/day	310	360	440	580
Dietary proteinb (mean), g/day	100	100	100	110

All variables except age are standardised to the age distribution of the study cohort

^aIncluding Swedish sandwich caviar, a processed bread spread made from sugar, salted cod and/or saithe roe that is usually smoked and often consumed with eggs

^bAdjusted to the mean energy intake in the cohort