Table 1.
Baseline characteristics by CRP quartile among those at risk for incident hypertension using JNC7 hypertension definition
| Variable* | N missing covariate | Quartile 1 | Quartile 2 | Quartile 3 | Quartile 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 1,623 | 1,646 | 1,621 | 1,631 | |
| Age, y | 0 | 61 (8) | 62 (8) | 62 (8) | 61 (8) |
| Female, % | 0 | 43 | 49 | 56 | 67 |
| Black race, % | 0 | 19 | 22 | 26 | 37 |
| Stroke belt, % | 0 | 30 | 36 | 34 | 33 |
| Household income <$25,000, % | 715 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 16 |
| Educational level < HS diploma, % | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 16 | 25 (4) | 27 (4) | 28 (5) | 30 (6) |
| Waist circumference, cm | 23 | 86 (14) | 90 (13) | 93 (14) | 97 (15) |
| Current alcohol use, % | 99 | 51 | 49 | 46 | 41 |
| Smoking status | 16 | ||||
| Current, % | 8 | 11 | 12 | 17 | |
| Former, % | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | |
| Never, % | 54 | 51 | 49 | 45 | |
| Systolic BP, mm Hg | 0 | 116 (11) | 119 (11) | 120 (11) | 120 (11) |
| Diastolic BP, mm Hg | 0 | 72 (8) | 74 (8) | 74 (7) | 74 (8) |
| Southern diet score | 1,227 | −0.5 (0.9) | −0.3 (0.9) | −0.2 (0.9) | 0.0 (1.0) |
| Dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio | 1,227 | 0.8 (0.2) | 0.9 (0.2) | 0.9 (0.2) | 0.9 (0.3) |
| DASH diet score | 1,227 | 25.7 (4.5) | 24.7 (4.2) | 24.1 (4.2) | 23.6 (4.2) |
| Anti-inflammatory Medications | |||||
| Statin, % | 27 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 18 |
| Aspirin, % | 4 | 36 | 36 | 32 | 31 |
| Metformin, % | 27 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Mean (SD) or percentage except where specified. CRP ranges were 0.15–.072 mg/L for quartile 1, 0.73–1.56 mg/L for quartile 2, 1.57–3.65 mg/L for quartile 3, and 3.66–130 mg/L for quartile 4. Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; BP, blood pressure; CRP, C-reactive protein; DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; HS, high school; JNC 7, Joint National Commission 7.