Table 1.
Characteristics of the Study Population by MI Status––The Tromsø Study, 2007–2008
| No Prior MI (n=4235) | Unrecognized MI (n=387) | Recognized MI (n=227) | P Valuea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 62±9 | 64±8 | 68±8 | <0.001 |
| Women | 2482 (59) | 145 (37) | 49 (22) | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 139±22 | 144±23 | 139±23 | 0.01 |
| Current use of blood pressure medication | 1032 (24) | 125 (32) | 127 (56) | <0.001 |
| Hypertensionb | 2380 (56) | 255 (66) | 168 (74) | 0.036 |
| Smoking habits | 0.002 | |||
| Current daily smoker | 789 (19) | 63 (17) | 38 (17) | |
| Former daily smoker | 1935 (46) | 195 (52) | 142 (64) | |
| Never daily smoker | 1511 (36) | 129 (33) | 47 (21) | |
| Diabetes mellitusc | 279 (7) | 35 (9) | 28 (12) | 0.20 |
| Physical activity | 0.65 | |||
| Sedentary lifestyle (reading, watching TV) | 698 (18) | 72 (21) | 41 (21) | |
| Walking, cycling, or other forms of exercise >4 h/wk | 2544 (66) | 218 (62) | 123 (63) | |
| Participation in recreational sports, heavy gardening, etc >4 h/wk | 651 (16) | 59 (17) | 30 (16) | |
| Psychological distress (HSCL‐10 score >1.85) | 483 (10) | 32 (8) | 25 (11) | 0.26 |
| Cold pressor tolerance <106 s | 1338 (32) | 95 (25) | 76 (33) | 0.02 |
| Medication use | ||||
| Antiplatelet drugs | 399 (9) | 73 (19) | 188 (83) | <0.01 |
| Anticoagulants | 81 (2) | 13 (3) | 32 (14) | <0.01 |
| Statins | 498 (12) | 82 (21) | 200 (88) | <0.01 |
| β‐Blockers | 418 (10) | 65 (17) | 172 (76) | <0.01 |
| ACEIs | 582 (14) | 79 (20) | 84 (37) | <0.01 |
| Weekly use of painkillers (with or without prescription) | 697 (16) | 42 (11) | 23 (10) | 0.78 |
Values are expressed as mean±SD or number (percentage). ACEIs indicates angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors; HSCL‐10, Hopkin symptom checklist 10‐item version; MI, myocardial infarction.
a
t or chi‐square tests comparing unrecognized and recognized MI.
b
Defined as systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg, or use of antihypertensive medication.
c
Defined as glycated hemoglobin >6.5 or use of antidiabetic medication.