Table 1. Characteristics of 2325 Veterans Who Received Carotid Endarterectomy in the Veterans Administration Between 2005 and 2010.
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), y | 73.74 (5.92) |
| Age group, y, No. (%) | |
| ≥80 | 398 (17.1) |
| 75-79 | 531 (22.8) |
| 70-74 | 631 (27.1) |
| 65-69 | 765 (32.9) |
| Male, No. (%) | 2298 (98.8) |
| Race/ethnicity, No. (%) | |
| White | 2195 (94.4) |
| Black | 98 (4.2) |
| Other | 28 (1.2) |
| Unknown | 4 (0.2) |
| Comorbid conditions, No. (%) | |
| Hypertension | 2170 (93.3) |
| Coronary artery disease | 1243 (53.5) |
| CKD | 1150 (49.5) |
| Diabetes | 932 (40.1) |
| COPD | 635 (27.3) |
| Any cancer diagnosis in the past 5 y preceding CEA, No. (%)a | 603 (25.9) |
| CHF | 409 (17.6) |
| Valvular disease | 311 (13.4) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 279 (12.0) |
| Dementia | 160 (6.9) |
| Remote stroke or TIA in the prior 6 mo | 150 (6.5) |
| Dialysis in the past 3 mo | 11 (0.5) |
| Tobacco use, No. (%) | |
| Current tobacco smoker | 778 (33.5) |
| Former tobacco smoker | 1324 (56.9) |
| Nonsmoker | 223 (9.6) |
| Contralateral stenosis levels, No. (%) | |
| Occluded | 159 (6.8) |
| 70%-99% | 330 (14.2) |
| <70% | 1836 (79.0) |
| BMI category, No. (%) | |
| Underweight | 25 (1.1) |
| Normal or healthy weight | 578 (24.9) |
| Overweight | 1030 (44.3) |
| Obese | 683 (29.4) |
| Unknown | 9 (0.4) |
| Any evidence of functional impairment, No. (%) | 242 (10.4) |
| Hemiplegia or another paralytic syndrome | 59 (2.5) |
| Pressure ulcer in the past year | 28 (1.2) |
| Use of nursing home | 17 (0.7) |
| Use of home-based primary care | 35 (1.5) |
| Use of home health aide | 113 (4.9) |
| Use of wheelchair | 17 (0.7) |
| Use of walker or cane | 45 (1.9) |
| Percent weight loss, No. (%) | |
| >15 | 28 (1.2) |
| 10-15 | 51 (2.2) |
| 5-9 | 173 (7.4) |
| <5 | 2056 (88.4) |
| Unknown | 17 (0.7) |
| Laboratory values, No. (%) | |
| Hemoglobin level <10 g/dL | 37 (1.6) |
| Platelet count <125 × 103/µL | 68 (2.9) |
| INR >1.5 | 117 (5.0) |
| Medications, No. (%) | |
| Taking statin | 1840 (79.1) |
| Taking antiplatelet medication | 1996 (85.8) |
| 4C model comorbid conditions, No. (%) | |
| 0 | 607 (26.1) |
| 1 | 909 (39.1) |
| 2 | 570 (24.5) |
| 3 or 4 | 239 (10.3) |
| 30-d Complication rate (combined) | 114 (4.9) |
| Stroke | 53 (2.3) |
| Acute myocardial infarction | 44 (1.9) |
| Death | 17 (0.7) |
| 5-y Mortality | 687 (29.5) |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CEA, carotid endarterectomy; CHF, congestive heart failure; CKD, chronic kidney disease; 4C model, any cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and chronic kidney disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; INR, international normalized ratio; TIA, transient ischemic attack.
SI conversion factors: To convert hemoglobin level to grams per liter, multiply by 10.0; to convert platelet count to ×109/L, multiply by 1.0.
a
Does not include diagnoses of prostate cancer.