Table 1.
Selected baseline demographic and lifestyle characteristics of study participants by colorectal cancer status, EPIC study 1992–2012
| Cases (n = 1378) | Controls (n = 1378) | |
|---|---|---|
| Women, % | 51.7 | 51.5 |
| Anthropometry, mean (SD) | ||
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26.7 ± 4.25 | 26.2 ± 3.74 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 90.4 ± 13.0 | 88.3 ± 12.1 |
| Waist-to-hip ratio | 0.88 ± 0.10 | 0.87 ± 0.10 |
| Lifestyle variables, n (%) | ||
| Smoking status frequency and intensity | ||
| Never | 542 (39.8) | 514 (37.9) |
| Current, 1–15 cigarettes/day | 139 (10.2) | 129 (9.51) |
| Current, 16–25 cigarettes/day | 94 (6.91) | 87 (6.40) |
| Current, 26+ cigarettes/day | 23 (1.69) | 20 (1.47) |
| Former, quit ≤ 10 years | 129 (9.48) | 139 (10.3) |
| Former, quit 11–20 years | 123 (9.04) | 144 (10.6) |
| Former, quit 20+ years | 177 (13.0) | 166 (12.2) |
| Current, pipe/cigar/occasional | 102 (7.49) | 125 (9.22) |
| Physical activity | ||
| Inactive | 361 (25.9) | 327 (23.3) |
| Moderately inactive | 448 (32.1) | 457 (32.6) |
| Moderately active | 311 (22.3) | 284 (20.3) |
| Active | 263 (18.9) | 314 (22.4) |
| Highest education level attained | ||
| None | 66 (4.85) | 68 (5.01) |
| Primary school completed | 490 (36.0) | 453 (33.4) |
| Technical/professional school | 343 (25.2) | 324 (23.9) |
| Secondary school | 184 (13.5) | 217 (16.0) |
| Higher education | 244 (17.9) | 247 (18.2) |
| Dietary intake, mean (SD) | ||
| Energy, kcal/day | 2127 ± 609 | 2124 ± 620 |
| Alcohol, g/day | 17.0 ± 22.1 | 15.4 ± 19.7 |
| Red and processed meats, g/day | 87.6 ± 53.1 | 85.1 ± 52.0 |
| Fruits and vegetables, g/day | 396 ± 233 | 421 ± 248 |
| Cereals, g/day | 216 ± 121 | 216 ± 119 |
| Dairy products, g/day | 331 ± 251 | 351 ± 244 |
| Fish and products, g/day | 28.2 ± 28.8 | 29.6 ± 30.6 |
| Sugar, cakes and confectionaries, g/day | 48.7 ± 66.6 | 48.7 ± 68.9 |
| Fats, g/day | 28.3 ± 15.6 | 27.9 ± 16.0 |
| Protein, g/day | 89.3 ± 27.9 | 90.3 ± 27.5 |
| AGEs biomarkers, mean (SD) | ||
| CML, nmol/l | 2719 ± 1046 | 2855 ± 1075 |
| CEL, nmol/l | 1475 ± 772 | 1475 ± 740 |
| MG-H1, nmol/l | 1056 ± 259 | 1079 ± 262 |
| ΣAGEs, nmol/l | 5250 ± 1488 | 5411 ± 1470 |
| CEL:MG-H1 | 1.45 ± 0.79 | 1.43 ± 0.75 |
| (CEL+MG-H1): CML | 1.01 ± 0.39 | 0.98 ± 0.38 |
Frequencies may not add up to 100% due to missing data. AGE, advanced glycation end products; BMI, body mass index; CML, Nε-carboxymethyllysine; CEL, Nε-carboxyethyllysine; MG-H1, Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl) ornithine.