Table 1.
Baseline characteristics stratified by quintiles of C-reactive protein level
| Quintile 1 | Quintile 2 | Quintile 3 | Quintile 4 | Quintile 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median CRP (mg/L) (range) | 0.50 (0.10–0.70) | 1.00 (0.71–1.39) | 1.80 (1.39–2.30) | 3.07 (2.31–4.10) | 5.90 (4.10–10.00) |
| n = 7178 | n = 1455 | n = 1417 | n = 1455 | n = 1426 | n = 1425 |
| Male, n (%) | 1129 (78) | 1075 (76) | 1094 (75) | 1044 (73) | 1008 (71) |
| Age (years)a | 58 ± 10 | 59 ± 10 | 61 ± 10 | 61 ± 10 | 61 ± 10 |
| Medical history | |||||
| Cancer (except non-melanoma skin cancer), n (%) | 45 (3) | 55 (4) | 53 (4) | 79 (6) | 68 (5) |
| Cerebrovascular disease, n (%) | 468 (32) | 404 (29) | 421 (29) | 431 (30) | 446 (31) |
| Coronary artery disease, n (%) | 930 (64) | 945 (67) | 929 (64) | 868 (61) | 756 (53) |
| Peripheral vascular disease, n (%) | 145 (10) | 186 (13) | 227 (16) | 298 (21) | 373 (26) |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 202 (14) | 223 (16) | 263 (18) | 248 (17) | 287 (20) |
| Current smoking, n (%) | 298 (20) | 333 (24) | 417 (29) | 519 (36) | 608 (43) |
| Former smoking, n (%) | 703 (48) | 724 (51) | 720 (49) | 662 (46) | 607 (43) |
| Number of pack-yearsa | 8 (0–23) | 12 (0–27) | 14 (3–31) | 20 (6–35) | 22 (9–37) |
| Metabolic syndrome, n (%) | 520 (36) | 640 (45) | 796 (55) | 844 (60) | 910 (64) |
| Physical examination | |||||
| Body mass index (kg/m2)a | 26 ± 3 | 26 ± 3 | 27 ± 4 | 27 ± 4 | 28 ± 4 |
| Waist circumference (cm)a | 91 ± 11 | 94 ± 11 | 97 ± 11 | 98 ± 12 | 98 ± 12 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)a | 136 ± 19 | 138 ± 20 | 140 ± 20 | 141 ± 20 | 142 ± 21 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)a | 80 ± 11 | 80 ± 11 | 81 ± 11 | 81 ± 11 | 82 ± 11 |
| Laboratory measurements | |||||
| Triglycerides (mmol/L)a | 1.2 (0.9–1.6) | 1.3 (1.0–1.9) | 1.4 (1.0–2.1) | 1.5 (1.1–2.1) | 1.6 (1.2–2.3) |
| HDL-cholesterol (mmol/L)a | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 1.2 (1.0–1.4) | 1.1 (0.9–1.3) |
| LDL-cholesterol (mmol/L)a | 2.4 (1.9–3.1) | 2.5 (2.0–3.3) | 2.7 (2.1–3.5) | 2.8 (2.2–3.6) | 3.0 (2.3–3.9) |
| eGFR (CKD-EPI, mL/min/1.73 m²)a | 80 ± 16 | 78 ± 17 | 77 ± 17 | 76 ± 18 | 75 ± 20 |
| Medication | |||||
| Lipid-lowering medication, n (%) | 1123 (77) | 1070 (76) | 1021 (70) | 937 (66) | 843 (59) |
| Blood pressure-lowering medication, n (%) | 1052 (72) | 1081 (76) | 1117 (77) | 1063 (75) | 1047 (73) |
| Anti-platelet therapy, n (%) | 1190 (82) | 1158 (82) | 1138 (78) | 1078 (76) | 1004 (70) |
| Anti-coagulants, n (%) | 109 (7) | 133 (9) | 177 (12) | 156 (11) | 184 (13) |
CRP, C-reactive protein.
a
Data are expressed as means ± SD for normal distributed data and median (interquartile range) for unevenly distributed data.