Table 2.
Characteristics of the study population by smoking status
| Characteristic | Never smoking | Past smoking | Current smoking |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 2921 | 4012 | 2176 |
| Age (years) | 65.0 (10.0) | 63.9 (8.5) | 61.9 (8.2) |
| Female sex (%) | 2397 (82) | 1824 (46) | 1065 (49) |
| Education (%) | |||
| Low | 1422 (49) | 1494 (37) | 953 (44) |
| Intermediate | 1094 (38) | 1823 (45) | 922 (42) |
| High | 405 (14) | 695 (17) | 301 (14) |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 138.3 (21.2) | 136.9 (20.5) | 134.2 (21.2) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 77.1 (11.8) | 77.6 (11.8) | 76.3 (12.2) |
| Blood pressure lowering medication (%) | 886 (30) | 1256 (31) | 496 (23) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.1 (4.1) | 27.1 (4.0) | 26.1 (4.1) |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/l) | 6.3 (1.3) | 6.2 (1.2) | 6.2 (1.3) |
| High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mmol/l) | 1.5 (0.4) | 1.4 (0.4) | 1.3 (0.4) |
| White blood cell (count/mm3) | 6.3 (1.6) | 6.5 (1.7) | 7.8 (2.1) |
| Diabetes mellitus type 2 (%) | 202 (7) | 304 (8) | 157 (7) |
| Daily alcohol intake (%) | |||
| Nondrinker | 1198 (41) | 918 (23) | 510 (23) |
| ≤ 15 g | 1412 (48) | 1944 (49) | 895 (41) |
| > 15 g | 311 (11) | 1150 (29) | 771 (35) |
| Carotid plaque score ≥ 4 (%) | 285 (10) | 615 (15) | 438 (20) |
| History of cardiovascular disease (%) | 104 (4) | 359 (9) | 112 (5) |
| Venular caliber (µm) | 223.8 (22.7) | 227.7 (22.0) | 236.8 (23.4) |
| Arteriolar caliber (µm) | 149.4 (15.7) | 149.9 (15.5) | 154.7 (15.8) |
| Incident stroke cases | 188 (6) | 287 (7) | 190 (9) |
Values are presented as means (standard deviation) or as numbers (percentage)