TABLE 2.
Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participant baseline characteristics according to plasma n–6 PUFA concentrations1
| Characteristic | Quartile 1 (8.23–29.95) | Quartile 2 (29.95–32.03) | Quartile 3 (32.03–34.00) | Quartile 4 (34.00–47.30) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 1562 | 1557 | 1545 | 1565 | |
| Age, y | 63 ± 10 | 62 ± 10 | 62 ± 10 | 60 ± 10 | <0.001 |
| Male | 685 (43.9) | 694 (44.6) | 738 (47.8) | 825 (52.7) | <0.001 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||
| White | 799 (51.2) | 653 (41.9) | 556 (36.0) | 414 (26.5) | <0.001 |
| Chinese-American | 102 (6.5) | 128 (8.2) | 195 (12.6) | 354 (22.6) | |
| Black | 361 (23.1) | 412 (26.5) | 428 (27.7) | 429 (27.4) | |
| Hispanic | 300 (19.2) | 364 (23.4) | 366 (23.7) | 368 (23.5) | |
| Education | |||||
| High school or less | 512 (32.8) | 559 (35.9) | 555 (35.9) | 598 (38.2) | 0.002 |
| Some college | 425 (27.2) | 449 (28.8) | 468 (30.3) | 429 (27.4) | |
| College or more | 625 (40.0) | 549 (35.3) | 522 (33.8) | 538 (34.4) | |
| Income, $ | |||||
| <25,000 | 440 (28.2) | 491 (31.5) | 488 (31.6) | 533 (34.1) | 0.018 |
| 25,000–49,999 | 446 (28.6) | 462 (29.7) | 448 (29.0) | 438 (28.0) | |
| 50,000–74,999 | 269 (17.2) | 269 (17.3) | 264 (17.1) | 262 (16.7) | |
| ≥75,000 | 407 (26.1) | 335 (21.5) | 345 (22.3) | 332 (21.2) | |
| Height, cm | 166 ± 9.9 | 166 ± 10 | 166 ± 10 | 167 ± 9.8 | 0.68 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 28 ± 5.5 | 29 ± 5.5 | 28 ± 5.7 | 27 ± 5.0 | <0.001 |
| Smoking status | |||||
| Never | 780 (49.9) | 782 (50.2) | 789 (51.1) | 798 (51.0) | 0.37 |
| Former | 600 (38.4) | 563 (36.2) | 557 (36.1) | 549 (35.1) | |
| Current | 182 (11.7) | 212 (13.6) | 199 (12.9) | 218 (13.9) | |
| Pack-years smoking | 13 ± 28 | 11 ± 21 | 11 ± 21 | 9.9 ± 19 | 0.002 |
| Alcohol consumption | |||||
| Never | 266 (17.1) | 331 (21.3) | 316 (20.5) | 353 (22.7) | <0.001 |
| Former | 357 (22.9) | 308 (19.8) | 394 (25.6) | 397 (25.5) | |
| Current | 933 (60.0) | 914 (58.9) | 829 (53.9) | 807 (51.8) | |
| Physical activity, MET-min/wk | 5567 ± 5827 | 5947 ± 6209 | 5790 ± 5879 | 6007 ± 5899 | 0.17 |
| Diabetes | 155 (9.9) | 187 (12.0) | 204 (13.2) | 211 (13.5) | 0.009 |
| SBP, mm Hg | 127 ± 21 | 127 ± 22 | 127 ± 22 | 124 ± 21 | <0.001 |
| DBP, mm Hg | 72 ± 10 | 72 ± 10 | 72 ± 10 | 72 ± 9.9 | 0.74 |
| Plasma total cholesterol, mg/dL | 195 ± 36 | 197 ± 35 | 194 ± 35 | 191 ± 36 | <0.001 |
| Plasma HDL cholesterol, mg/dL | 51 ± 16 | 50 ± 14 | 51 ± 14 | 51 ± 15 | 0.11 |
| Plasma triglycerides, mg/dL | 138 ± 83 | 137 ± 76 | 132 ± 89 | 122 ± 104 | <0.001 |
| Antihypertensive use | 589 (37.7) | 565 (36.3) | 609 (39.4) | 484 (30.9) | <0.001 |
1
n = 6229. Values are mean ± SD or n (%) unless otherwise indicated. n–6 PUFA concentrations are the sum of arachidonic acid and linoleic acid. DBP, diastolic blood pressure; MET, metabolic equivalent; SBP, systolic blood pressure.