Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of participants with antibodies to P. gingivalis at or below and above the limit of detection in ARIC a
| Characteristic | At or Below LOD | Above LOD | P Value c |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||
| Number | 2587 | 1676 | |
| Mean age (SD, y) | 62.0(5.6) | 62.2 (5.7) | 0.37 |
| Female (%) | 55.2 | 54.7 | 0.71 |
| Black (%) | 7.7 | 29.7 | <0.0001 |
| Education level (%) | |||
| <= 11 years (basic) | 10.9 | 16.7 | <0.0001 |
| 12–16 years (intermediate) | 45.0 | 42.5 | |
| 17–21 years (advanced) | 44.1 | 40.8 | |
| Family history of cancer (%) | 59.2 | 56.0 | 0.046 |
| Mean body mass index b (SE, kg/m2) | 29.2 (0.1) | 29.6 (0.1) | 0.02 |
| Cigarette smoking status b (%) | |||
| Never smoker | 14.3 | 12.7 | 0.06 |
| Former smoker | 42.8 | 46.5 | |
| Current smoker | 43.0 | 40.8 | |
| Mean packyears smoked b (SE) | 22.7 (0.8) | 24.4 (0.8) | 0.07 |
| Alcohol drinking status b (%) | |||
| Never drinker | 43.1 | 41.4 | 0.19 |
| Former drinker | 38.0 | 41.1 | |
| Current drinker | 18.9 | 17.5 | |
| Having diagnosed diabetes (%) | 9.6 | 12.4 | 0.003 |
a
Characteristics were measured at ARIC visit 4. Participants attended visit 4 were free of cancer at visit 4; LOD = limit of detection (20 ng/mL).
b
Body mass index, cigarette smoking status, packyears smoked, and alcohol drinking status were adjusted for age at visit 4 and race.
c
P value was calculated using the t-test, Pearson’s chi-squared test, or Wald test (for adjusted values).