Table 1.
Participant characteristics at baseline (Tromsø Study the 4th survey: analysis restricted to participants with all covariates and outcomes at both 4th and 5th survey: n = 4345)
| Total (4345) | Men (2114) | Women (2231) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) median (IQR) | 60 (55–66) | 60 (55–65) | 61 (56–67) |
| Anthropometric measures Mean ± SD | |||
| Height (cm) | 168.5 ± 9.4 | 175.6 ± 6.7 | 161.8 ± 6.2 |
| Weight (kg) | 74.0 ± 13.0 | 80.6 ± 11.5 | 67.8 ± 11.2 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.0 ± 3.7 | 26.1 ± 3.2 | 25.9 ± 4.2 |
| WC (cm) | 89.7 ± 11.0 | 95.0 ± 9.0 | 84.7 ± 10.5 |
| WHR | 0.87 ± 0.08 | 0.92 ± 0.06 | 0.82 ± 0.06 |
| WHtR | 0.53 ± 0.06 | 0.54 ± 0.05 | 0.52 ± 0.07 |
| Categorical obesityaN(%) | |||
| BMI < 25 kg/m2 | 1836 (42.3) | 803 (38.0) | 1033 (46.3) |
| 25 < =BMI < 30 kg/m2 (Overweight) | 1930 (44.4) | 1087 (51.4) | 843 (37.8) |
| BMI > =30 kg/m2(Obesity) | 579 (13.3) | 224 (10.6) | 355 (15.9) |
| WC: m > 102 cm, w > 88 cm (Abdominal obesity) | 1226 (28.2) | 449 (21.2) | 777 (34.8) |
| WHR m > =0.9 f > =0.85(Abdominal obesity) | 1850 (42.6) | 1245 (58.9) | 605 (27.1) |
| Potential confounders N(%) | |||
| Current Smoker | 1290 (29.7) | 657 (31.1) | 633 (28.4) |
| Physical activity (hours/week) b | |||
| None | 2666 (61.4) | 1077 (51.0) | 1589 (71.2) |
| Less than 1 | 673 (15.5) | 381 (18.0) | 292 (13.1) |
| 1–2 | 670 (15.4) | 421 (19.9) | 249 (11.2) |
| 3 or more | 336 (7.7) | 235 (11.1) | 101 (4.5) |
| Education | |||
| Primary education | 2229 (51.3) | 910 (43.1) | 1319 (59.1) |
| Vocational/high school | 1328 (30.6) | 738 (34.9) | 590 (26.5) |
| University/college | 788 (18.1) | 466 (22.0) | 322 (14.4) |
| Potential mediators Mean ± SD | |||
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 143.4 ± 21.5 | 143.6 ± 19.4 | 143.2 ± 23.2 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/l) | 6.69 ± 1.27 | 6.51 ± 1.18 | 6.85 ± 1.32 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/l) | 1.51 ± 0.88 | 1.62 ± 0.96 | 1.41 ± 0.79 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 1.52 ± 0.44 | 1.37 ± 0.39 | 1.66 ± 0.44 |
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 4.48 ± 1.17 | 4.40 ± 1.09 | 4.55 ± 1.22 |
| HbA1c (%) | 5.44 ± 0.63 | 5.42 ± 0.57 | 5.47 ± 0.68 |
| Medical history/Medication N(%) | |||
| Myocardial infarction | 197 (4.5) | 156 (7.4) | 41 (1.8) |
| Angina pectoris | 335 (7.7) | 198 (9.4) | 137 (6.1) |
| Stroke | 83 (1.9) | 42 (2.0) | 41 (1.8) |
| Diabetes | 96 (2.2) | 46 (2.2) | 50 (2.2) |
| Lipid-lowering drug use | 114 (2.6) | 64 (3.0) | 50 (2.2) |
| Blood pressure lowering drug use | 515 (11.9) | 248 (11.7) | 267 (12.0) |
| TPA at T4 (IQR) | |||
| TPA Q1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| TPA Q2 | 0–0 | 0–4.0 | 0–0 |
| TPA Q3 | 0–12.9 | 4.0–16.2 | 0–10.4 |
| TPA Q4 | 12.9–135.1 | 16.2–135.1 | 10.4–121.2 |
| Number of plaques at T4 N (%) | |||
| 0 | 2337 (53.8) | 1027 (48.6) | 1310 (58.7) |
| 1 | 1268 (29.2) | 655 (31.0) | 613 (27.5) |
| 2 | 534 (12.3) | 295 (14.0) | 239 (10.7) |
| 3 | 147 (3.4) | 95 (4.5) | 52 (2.3) |
| 4 | 49 (1.1) | 35 (1.7) | 14 (0.6) |
| 5 | 9 (0.2) | 7 (0.3) | 2 (0.1) |
| 6 | 1 (0.02) | 1 (0.04) | |
BMI body mass index, WC waist circumference, WHR waist-to-hip ratio, WHtR waist-to-height ratio, HDL high-density lipoprotein, LDL low-density lipoprotein, HbA1c glycated haemoglobin, TPA total plaque area
aIncreased waist circumference (> 102 cm for men, > 88 cm for women) and increased WHR (> = 0.9 for men, > = 0.85 for women) are categorised according to WHO cut-off points [1]. bHours spent on hard physical activity (sweating/out of breath) in leisure time