Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of the ARIC and MESA Cohorts.
| Characteristic | No. (%) of Participants | |
|---|---|---|
| ARIC (n = 4847)a |
MESA (n = 2390)a |
|
| Men | 2113 (43.6) | 1142 (47.8) |
| Women | 2734 (56.4) | 1248 (52.2) |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 62.9 (5.6) | 61.8 (9.6) |
| Total cholesterol, mean (SD), mg/dL | 202.3 (36.0) | 196.3 (35.2) |
| HDL cholesterol, mean (SD), mg/dL | 50.2 (16.5) | 52.5 (15.7) |
| Systolic blood pressure, mean (SD), mmHg | 125.5 (18.2) | 122.8 (20.0) |
| Taking antihypertensive medications | 1400 (28.9) | 768 (32.1) |
| Taking statin medication | 472 (9.7) | 397 (16.6) |
| Current smoker | 689 (14.2) | 284 (11.9) |
| Type 2 diabetes | 291 (6.0) | 139 (5.8) |
| High estimated 10-y risk, >7.5%b | 2772 (57.2) | 1198 (50.1) |
| Maternal or paternal family history of CHDc | 2011 (41.5) | NA |
| Maternal or paternal premature CHDd | 443 (9.1) | NA |
| Completed high school | 4333 (89.4) | 2280 (95.4) |
Abbreviations: ARIC, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities; CHD, coronary heart disease; HDL, high-density lipoprotein, MESA, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis; NA, not available.
SI conversion factor: To convert cholesterol and HDL cholesterol from mg/dL to mmol/L, multiply by 0.0259.
For the ARIC study, counts are for participants without a prior diagnosis of CHD at their visit 4 examination. For the MESA study, counts are for participants without a CHD diagnosis at their initial visit 1 examination.
Estimated 10-year risk is based on the 2013 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association pooled cohort equations and was calculated using the race- and sex-specific formulas provided in the guidelines. Individuals with a 10-year estimated atherosclerotic risk of 7.5% or less are classified as low risk and individuals with a risk higher than 7.5% are classified as high risk.
Indicates that either a participant’s mother or father had a history of CHD.
Indicates that either a participant’s mother or father had a history of CHD prior to the age of 60 or 55 years, respectively.