Table 1.
Basic characteristics of colorectal cancer cases and controls in the nested case–control study within the NHS
| Characteristics | Cases (n = 324) | Controls (n = 658) |
|---|---|---|
| Age at blood draw, mean (SD) | 58.9 (6.7) | 59.3 (6.6) |
| Age at diagnosis, mean (SD) | 67.4 (7.5) | - |
| Caucasians, % | 98.2 | 99.7 |
| log-mtDNAcn, mean (SD) | −0.1 (0.3) | 0.01 (0.3) |
| Regular users of aspirin, % | 38.0 | 47.0 |
| Regular users of non-aspirin NSAIDs, % | 12.7 | 19.8 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (SD) | 25.7 (5.0) | 25.6 (4.7) |
| Weight change from blood collection until 2 years before diagnosis, kg, mean (SD) | 1.0 (6.5) | 1.8 (6.9) |
| Physical activity, MET hours/ week, mean (SD) | 18.1 (18.0) | 18.6 (19.1) |
| AHEI score, mean (SD) | 46.4 (9.2) | 47.3 (9.6) |
| Smoking status, % | ||
| Past smokers | 39.2 | 42.3 |
| Current smokers | 17.3 | 12.2 |
| Alcohol consumption, g/d, mean (SD) | 7.3 (12.3) | 6.9 (10.5) |
| CRC in a parent or sibling, % | 17.3 | 15.5 |
| Parity, % | ||
| 0 child | 6.5 | 4.4 |
| 1 child | 5.6 | 8.4 |
| 2 children | 25.3 | 23.9 |
| 3+ children | 62.0 | 62.3 |
| Postmenopasual status, % | 86.1 | 88.6 |
| Current postmenopausal hormone use, % | 34.0 | 43.7 |
Values are means (SD) for continuous variables and percentages for categorical variables; percentage of current postmenopausal hormone use is calculated among postmenopausal women.