Table 2.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of participants
| Characteristic | Primary CVD prevention (n = 491) | Secondary CVD prevention (n = 514) |
|---|---|---|
| Sex, n (%) | ||
| Female | 248 (51) | 247 (48) |
| Age (years), mean (standard deviation) | 62.5 (6.3) | 62.2 (6.6) |
| Marital status, n (%) | ||
| Married | 355 (72) | 387 (75) |
| Widowed | 36 (7) | 45 (9) |
| Divorced | 22 (4) | 30 (6) |
| Separated | 30 (6) | 25 (5) |
| Single | 48 (10) | 27 (5) |
| Education, n (%) | ||
| Primary school | 78 (16) | 168 (33) |
| High school | 270 (55) | 250 (49) |
| College or higher | 143 (29) | 96 (19) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | ||
| Mean (standard deviation) | 26.8 (5.7) | 26.4 (4.3) |
| Missing, n (%) | 19 (4) | 76 (15) |
| Smoking status, n (%) | ||
| Current smoker | 222 (45) | 144 (28) |
| Former smoker | 32 (7) | 156 (30) |
| Never smoked | 237 (48) | 214 (42) |
| Current medical conditions, n (%) | ||
| Atherosclerosis | 19 (4) | 84 (16) |
| Cancer other than colorectal cancer | 6 (1) | 4 (1) |
| Colorectal cancer | 3 (1) | 0 |
| Congestive heart failure | 8 (2) | 98 (19) |
| Diabetes, type 1 | 23 (5) | 4 (1) |
| Diabetes, type 2 | 200 (41) | 103 (20) |
| Heart arrhythmias | 17 (3) | 151 (29) |
| Heart valve problems | 9 (2) | 89 (17) |
| High cholesterol | 465 (95) | 344 (67) |
| Hypertension | 464 (95) | 394 (77) |
| Myocardial infarction | 0 | 185 (36) |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 5 (1) | 23 (4) |
| Stable angina | 0 | 159 (31) |
| Ischaemic stroke | 0 | 58 (11) |
| Transient ischemic attack | 0 | 137 (27) |
| Unstable angina | 0 | 71 (14) |
| Current heart medications, n (%)a | ||
| Cholesterol-lowering drugs | 420 (86) | 367 (71) |
| Antihypertensive drugs | 444 (90) | 397 (77) |
| Low-dose aspirin | 230 (47) | 258 (50) |
| Other antiplatelets or anticoagulants Other than aspirin | 13 (3) | 193 (38) |
| Otherb | 14 (3) | 11 (2) |
| None | 0 | 0 |
CVD cardiovascular disease
aInformation on current heart medications was collected with the question “Which of the following medications are you currently taking for your heart disease?”
bBased on participant responses for a free-text “Other” response option