Table 1. Characteristics and Metabolite Plasma Concentrations Among 4442 Participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study.
| Characteristic | Study participantsa | |
|---|---|---|
| Women (n = 2710) | Men (n = 1732) | |
| Age, y | 73 (6) | 74 (6) |
| Race, No. (%) | ||
| White | 2292 (85) | 1502 (87) |
| Black | 402 (15) | 219 (13) |
| Prevalent cardiovascular heart disease, No. (%) | 396 (15) | 430 (25) |
| Prevalent atrial fibrillation, No. (%) | 58 (2) | 98 (6) |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 136 (22) | 134 (21) |
| Treated hypertension, No. (%) | 1244 (46) | 768 (44) |
| Past smoking, No. (%) | 839 (31) | 1001 (58) |
| Current smoking, No. (%) | 340 (13) | 197 (11) |
| BMI | 26 (5) | 26 (4) |
| Physical activity, kcal/wk | 872 (1214) | 1619 (1850) |
| Glucose level, mg/dL | 98 (10) | 101 (10) |
| Insulin level, μIU/mL | 14 (11) | 14 (7) |
| Hemoglobin A1c level, %b | 6.1 (1.0) | 6.1 (1.3) |
| Gutt ISIc | 60 (23) | 63 (25) |
| LDL cholesterol level, mg/dL | 134 (35) | 125 (33) |
| eGFR, mL/min | 80 (20) | 74 (18) |
| Animal-sourced food intake, servings/dd | 1.6 (0.9) | 1.8 (1.0) |
| Fruit intake, servings/d | 2.3 (1.1) | 2.0 (1.0) |
| Vegetable intake, servings/d | 2.7 (1.4) | 2.4 (1.4) |
| Plasma concentration, μmol/L | ||
| TMAO | 6.9 (9.2) | 8.2 (12.1) |
| Choline | 9.5 (3.4) | 10.7 (3.8) |
| Betaine | 35.0 (12.0) | 43.0 (13.0) |
| Carnitine | 37.0 (8.0) | 39.0 (8.0) |
| γ-Butyrobetaine | 0.9 (0.3) | 1.2 (0.4) |
| Crotonobetaine | 0.02 (0.02) | 0.03 (0.02) |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; ISI, insulin sensitivity index; LDL, low-density lipoproteins; TMAO, trimethylamine N-oxide.
SI conversion factors: To convert LDL cholesterol to mmol/L, multiply by 0.0259; glucose to mmol/L, multiply by 0.0555; hemoglobin A1c to proportion of total hemoglobin, multiply by 0.01; and insulin to pmol/L, multiply by 6.945.
a
Unless otherwise indicated, data are expressed as mean (SD).
b
Available in 522 women and 312 men.
c
Available in 2293 women and 1529 men.
d
Includes meat, chicken, fish, and eggs.