Table 1. Sex-specific, age-adjusted mean values and prevalence rates of baseline risk characteristics according to quartiles of serum albumin levels.

	Quartiles of serum albumin levels
	Men					Women
	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	P for trend	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	P for trend
Serum albumin range (g/dL)	≤4.3	4.4–4.5	4.6	≥4.7		≤4.3	4.4–4.5	4.6	≥4.7
Serum albumin (g/dL)#	4.3	4.5	4.6	4.8		4.3	4.5	4.6	4.8
Number of participants	174	262	152	233		349	634	301	430
Age (y)	61.0	59.2	58.6	56.3	< 0.001	56.6	57.1	57.3	57.3	0.206
Serum creatinine (mg/dL)	0.75	0.76	0.76	0.75	0.829	0.58	0.57	0.58	0.58	0.726
eGFR (mL/min per 1.73 m2)	85.1	83.4	83.9	84.4	0.778	84.4	85.1	84.1	84.4	0.765
Body mass index (kg/m2)	23.7	23.8	24.1	24.1	0.201	23.2	23.2	23.3	22.8	0.044
Current smokers (%)	51	44	42	37	0.004	6	5	4	5	0.456
Alcohol intake (ethanol g/day)	28.4	27.0	26.3	26.4	0.450	2.3	2.1	1.6	2.1	0.74
hs-CRP (mg/L)	1.86	1.18	1.10	0.84	0.003	2.02	0.96	0.73	0.62	< 0.001
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)	125	129	130	131	< 0.001	122	124	125	128	< 0.001
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)	78	81	82	83	< 0.001	74	76	76	77	< 0.001
Use of antihypertensive medication (%)	15	16	15	25	0.010	12	14	14	22	< 0.001
Serum total cholesterol (mg/dL)	195	202	213	216	< 0.001	211	220	224	231	< 0.001
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL)	58	58	59	61	0.009	65	65	66	68	< 0.001
Cholesterol-lowering medication (%)	3	3	2	6	0.180	8	9	9	15	< 0.001
Diabetes mellitus (%)	9	4	11	12	0.115	4	3	4	5	0.135

^#Median values are shown.

Abbreviations: hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate.