TABLE 1.
Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participant baseline characteristics according to plasma n–3 PUFA concentrations1
| Characteristic | Quartile 1 (0.51–1.46) | Quartile 2 (1.46–1.77) | Quartile 3 (1.77–2.21) | Quartile 4 (2.21–15.97) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 1568 | 1545 | 1558 | 1558 | |
| Age, y | 61 ± 10 | 62 ± 10 | 62 ± 10 | 63 ± 10 | 0.002 |
| Male | 755 (48.2) | 753 (48.7) | 734 (47.1) | 700 (44.9) | 0.15 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||
| White | 543 (34.6) | 605 (39.2) | 641 (41.1) | 633 (40.6) | <0.001 |
| Chinese-American | 141 (9.0) | 142 (9.2) | 170 (10.9) | 326 (20.9) | |
| Black | 343 (21.9) | 422 (27.3) | 454 (29.1) | 411 (26.4) | |
| Hispanic | 541 (34.5) | 376 (24.3) | 293 (18.8) | 188 (12.1) | |
| Education | |||||
| High school or less | 660 (42.1) | 589 (38.1) | 530 (34.0) | 445 (28.6) | <0.001 |
| Some college | 467 (29.8) | 457 (29.6) | 440 (28.2) | 407 (26.1) | |
| College or more | 441 (28.1) | 499 (32.3) | 588 (37.7) | 706 (45.3) | |
| Income, $ | |||||
| <25,000 | 582 (37.1) | 504 (32.6) | 456 (29.3) | 410 (26.3) | <0.001 |
| 25,000–49,999 | 462 (29.5) | 463 (30.0) | 451 (28.9) | 418 (26.8) | |
| 50,000–74,999 | 262 (16.7) | 263 (17.0) | 286 (18.4) | 253 (16.2) | |
| ≥75,000 | 262 (16.7) | 315 (20.4) | 365 (23.4) | 477 (30.6) | |
| Height, cm | 166 ± 10 | 167 ± 10 | 167 ± 10 | 166 ± 9.7 | <0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 29 ± 5.6 | 29 ± 5.7 | 28 ± 5.5 | 27 ± 4.9 | <0.001 |
| Smoking status | |||||
| Never | 753 (48.0) | 726 (47.0) | 808 (51.9) | 862 (55.3) | <0.001 |
| Former | 573 (36.5) | 585 (37.9) | 551 (35.4) | 560 (35.9) | |
| Current | 242 (15.4) | 234 (15.1) | 199 (12.8) | 136 (8.7) | |
| Pack-years smoking | 13 ± 23 | 12 ± 26 | 11 ± 21 | 9.3 ± 19 | <0.001 |
| Alcohol consumption | |||||
| Never | 326 (20.8) | 293 (19.1) | 312 (20.1) | 335 (21.6) | <0.001 |
| Former | 451 (28.8) | 376 (24.5) | 350 (22.5) | 279 (18.0) | |
| Current | 788 (50.4) | 866 (56.4) | 892 (57.4) | 937 (60.4) | |
| Physical activity, MET-min/wk | 5704 ± 5984 | 5982 ± 5944 | 6163 ± 5836 | 5465 ± 6041 | 0.006 |
| Diabetes | 215 (13.7) | 188 (12.2) | 191 (12.3) | 163 (10.5) | 0.051 |
| SBP, mm Hg | 126 ± 22 | 126 ± 21 | 127 ± 22 | 125 ± 21 | 0.25 |
| DBP, mm Hg | 72 ± 10 | 72 ± 10 | 72 ± 10 | 72 ± 10 | 0.42 |
| Plasma total cholesterol, mg/dL | 191 ± 37 | 195 ± 36 | 196 ± 35 | 196 ± 34 | <0.001 |
| Plasma HDL cholesterol, mg/dL | 49 ± 14 | 49 ± 14 | 52 ± 15 | 53 ± 15 | <0.001 |
| Plasma triglycerides, mg/dL | 135 ± 88 | 137 ± 105 | 133 ± 84 | 123 ± 74 | <0.001 |
| Antihypertensive use | 538 (34.3) | 571 (37.0) | 566 (36.3) | 572 (36.7) | 0.40 |
1
n = 6229. Values are mean ± SD or n (%) unless otherwise indicated. n–3 PUFA concentrations are the sum of DHA, n–3 docosapentaenoic acid, and EPA. DBP, diastolic blood pressure; MET, metabolic equivalent; SBP, systolic blood pressure.