TABLE 1.
Age-standardized characteristics of 2,494 participants by quartiles of relative telomere length in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study1
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participants, n | 632 | 615 | 632 | 615 |
| Age at blood draw,2 y | 66.3 ± 7.4 | 64.2 ± 8.1 | 62.5 ± 8.1 | 62.7 ± 8.2 |
| Race (white), %3 | 95.5 | 93.3 | 93.6 | 94.1 |
| Telomere length, Z score | −1.2 ± 0.4 | −0.3 ± 0.2 | 0.4 ± 0.2 | 1.3 ± 0.4 |
| Total n–3 fatty acids,4 g/d | 1.54 ± 0.60 | 1.45 ± 0.57 | 1.50 ± 0.66 | 1.51 ± 0.57 |
| ALA | 1.20 ± 0.46 | 1.16 ± 0.46 | 1.15 ± 0.45 | 1.19 ± 0.49 |
| Marine n–3 fatty acids5 | 0.31 ± 0.35 | 0.27 ± 0.25 | 0.32 ± 0.40 | 0.29 ± 0.24 |
| EPA | 0.12 ± 0.21 | 0.10 ± 0.13 | 0.12 ± 0.23 | 0.10 ± 0.12 |
| DHA | 0.20 ± 0.16 | 0.18 ± 0.13 | 0.20 ± 0.18 | 0.19 ± 0.13 |
| DPA | 0.03 ± 0.02 | 0.02 ± 0.01 | 0.03 ± 0.02 | 0.03 ± 0.02 |
| Total n–6 fatty acids,6 g/d | 12.46 ± 4.98 | 12.05 ± 5.00 | 11.78 ± 4.72 | 12.28 ± 5.16 |
| LA | 12.32 ± 4.96 | 11.91 ± 4.97 | 11.64 ± 4.69 | 12.14 ± 5.13 |
| AA | 0.14 ± 0.06 | 0.14 ± 0.06 | 0.14 ± 0.06 | 0.14 ± 0.05 |
| LA:ALA ratio7 | 10.46 ± 2.56:1 | 10.58 ± 2.79:1 | 10.44 ± 2.80:1 | 10.42 ± 2.61:1 |
| Canned tuna,8 servings/wk | 0.79 ± 0.99 | 0.79 ± 0.87 | 0.85 ± 1.06 | 0.84 ± 0.91 |
| Dark meat fish,9 servings/wk | 0.46 ± 0.66 | 0.43 ± 0.56 | 0.49 ± 0.71 | 0.44 ± 0.59 |
| Other dietary factors | ||||
| Total calories, kcal/d | 2,098± 570 | 2009± 553 | 2045± 579 | 2070± 561 |
| Total fruit, servings/d | 3.0 ± 1.7 | 2.8 ± 1.6 | 2.9 ± 1.5 | 2.8 ± 1.4 |
| Whole fruit, servings/d | 2.1 ± 1.3 | 2.0 ± 1.3 | 2.0 ± 1.2 | 2.0 ± 1.2 |
| Fruit juices, servings/d | 0.9 ± 0.8 | 0.8 ± 0.7 | 0.8 ± 0.7 | 0.8 ± 0.7 |
| Total vegetables, servings/d | 3.6 ± 1.8 | 3.3 ± 1.5 | 3.5 ± 1.7 | 3.5 ± 1.7 |
| Dietary fiber, g/d | 23.2 ± 6.2 | 22.6 ± 6.1 | 23.6 ± 6.5 | 22.8 ± 6.4 |
| Alcohol consumption, g/d | 12.3 ± 14.2 | 12.3 ± 14.9 | 12.2 ± 14.7 | 12.8 ± 15.2 |
| Cigarette smoking | ||||
| Never smoker, % | 47.6 | 49.5 | 50.3 | 44.2 |
| Past smoker, % | 47.5 | 45.7 | 44.8 | 52.7 |
| Current smoker, % | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 3.1 |
| Pack-years among ever smokers10 | 27.3 ± 17.9 | 25.9 ± 16.3 | 25.3 ± 16.8 | 22.7 ± 16.3 |
| BMI at blood draw, kg/m2 | 25.8 ± 3.0 | 25.6 ± 2.6 | 25.7 ± 3.1 | 25.5 ± 2.8 |
| Physical activity, METs/wk | 33.9 ± 27.4 | 32.0 ± 26.4 | 32.0 ± 32.7 | 33.8 ± 27.6 |
Information presented was collected at the time of blood collection or at the questionnaire cycle closest to blood collection (HPFS: 1993–1995). Values are means ± SDs for continuous variables, percentages for categoric variables, and are standardized to the age distribution of the study population except for baseline age. AA, arachidonic acid; ALA, α-linolenic acid; DPA, docosapentaenoic acid; HPFS, Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; LA, linoleic acid; MET, metabolic equivalent; n–3, omega-3; n–6 omega-6; Q, quartile.
P-trend < 0.0001 by simple linear regression.
Race was self-identified and self-reported.
Total n–3 fatty acids consisted of ALA (78.3%), EPA (7.3%), DHA (12.8%), and DPA (1.7%).
EPA + DHA.
Total n–6 fatty acids consisted of LA (98.9%) and AA (1.1%).
Mean ± SD of the overall LA:ALA ratio was 10.48 ± 2.95:1.
White or light canned tuna fish in water (drained solids).
Dark meat fish includes mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefish, and swordfish.
P-trend = 0.03 by age-adjusted linear regression.