Table 1.
Baseline characteristics by different levels of alcohol consumption of IMPROVE study participants
| Characteristic | Abstainers (0 g/d) | Very Low (> 0–5 g/d) | Low (> 5–10 g/d) | Moderate (> 10–30 g/d)a | High (> 30 g/d)b |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | |||||
| All | 1678 | 225 | 375 | 738 | 668 |
| Men | 515 | 119 | 179 | 468 | 480 |
| Women | 1163 | 106 | 196 | 270 | 188 |
| Total alcohol (g/d) | |||||
| All | 0 (0;0) | 4 (1.9;4) | 8 (8;8) | 16 (16;16.8) | 36 (32;48) |
| Men | 0 (0;0) | 3.6 (2;4) | 8 (8;8) | 16 (16;21.6) | 40 (32;56) |
| Women | 0 (0;0) | 4 (1.8;4) | 8 (8;8) | 16 (16;16) | 32 (32;33) |
| Age (y) | |||||
| All | 64.4 (59.6;67.3) | 65.3 (60.5;67.4) | 65.6 (60;67.2) | 65.2 (59.5;67.2) | 63.4 (59.1;67) |
| Men | 64.6 (59.5;67.1) | 65.3 (59.9;67.3) | 64.9 (59.3;67.3) | 65.7 (59.3;67.2) | 63.2 (59.1;66.9) |
| Women | 64.2 (59.7;67.5) | 65.2 (61.4;67.8) | 65.9 (60.1;67.1) | 65 (59.8;67.2) | 63.6 (59.4;67.4) |
| Physical activity (%) m3 | |||||
| All | |||||
| Low | 22.3 | 8.4 | 16.3 | 18.0 | 21.6 |
| Medium | 43.7 | 42.2 | 42.8 | 42.9 | 49.4 |
| High | 34.0 | 49.3 | 40.9 | 39.0 | 29.0 |
| Men | |||||
| Low | 16.0 | 7.6 | 14.0 | 13.7 | 20.2 |
| Medium | 42.6 | 41.2 | 41.6 | 40.2 | 49.4 |
| High | 41.4 | 51.3 | 44.4 | 46.1 | 30.4 |
| Women | |||||
| Low | 25.0 | 9.0 | 18.0 | 25.6 | 25.0 |
| Medium | 44.2 | 43.0 | 44.0 | 47.8 | 49.5 |
| High | 30.7 | 47.0 | 38.0 | 26.7 | 25.5 |
| Ever smoker (%) | |||||
| All | 13.3 | 10.2 | 14.7 | 15.7 | 19.2 |
| Men | 14.9 | 10.1 | 19.0 | 16.7 | 18.9 |
| Women | 12.6 | 10.4 | 10.7 | 14.1 | 19.7 |
| Education (%) m34 | |||||
| All | |||||
| ≤ 9 years | 51.6 | 44.6 | 46.4 | 39.6 | 38.5 |
| 9 − 12 years | 25.3 | 25.2 | 23.2 | 26.3 | 27.0 |
| > 12 years | 23.0 | 30.2 | 30.5 | 34.1 | 34.4 |
| Men | |||||
| ≤ 9 years | 44.9 | 50.0 | 44.6 | 37.1 | 37.2 |
| 9 − 12 years | 25.2 | 23.7 | 21.5 | 24.3 | 27.3 |
| > 12 years | 30.0 | 26.3 | 33.9 | 38.6 | 35.5 |
| Women | |||||
| ≤ 9 years | 54.5 | 38.5 | 47.9 | 43.8 | 41.9 |
| 9 − 12 years | 25.5 | 26.9 | 24.7 | 29.7 | 26.3 |
| > 12 years | 20.0 | 34.6 | 27.3 | 26.4 | 31.7 |
| Dietscorec m14 | |||||
| All | 2 (1;3) | 1(0;2) | 2 (1;3) | 2 (1;3) | 2 (1;3) |
| Men | 1(1;2) | 1(1;2) | 1(1;2) | 1(1;2) | 2 (1;3) |
| Women | 2 (1;3) | 1(0;2) | 2 (1;3) | 2 (1;3) | 2 (2;3) |
| Geographical gradient (%)d | |||||
| All | |||||
| North | 57.0 | 93.0 | 62.0 | 59.0 | 40.5 |
| South | 43.0 | 7.0 | 38.0 | 41.0 | 59.0 |
| Men | |||||
| North | 66.0 | 97.0 | 76.0 | 70.0 | 44.0 |
| South | 34.0 | 3.0 | 24.0 | 30.0 | 56.0 |
| Women | |||||
| North | 53.0 | 88.7 | 48.9 | 40.0 | 32.0 |
| South | 47.0 | 11.0 | 49.0 | 60.0 | 67.5 |
| Lipid-lowering drugs (%)e m63 | |||||
| All | 49.0 | 43.0 | 50.0 | 45.0 | 54.5 |
| Men | 46.0 | 43.0 | 43.0 | 44.0 | 55.0 |
| Women | 51.0 | 44.0 | 56.0 | 47.5 | 54.3 |
Results are presented for all the participants (n = 3684), in men (n = 1761) and in women (n = 1923), respectively. Median and interquartile range (in brackets) for continuous variables where not specified; proportions for binary and categorical variables (%)
m missing values
aFor women cut-off > 10 − < 20 g/day
bFor women cut-off > 20 g/day
cDietscore continuous variable created as described in the Method section
dNorth includes Finland (2 centers in Kuopio), Sweden (Stockholm), The Netherlands (Groningen); South: France (Paris), Italy (1 center in Milan, 1 center in Perugia)
eHypolipidemic treatment including statins, fibrate, resins