Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population

Age (years)

62 ± 13

58 ± 15

< 0.001

Male gender

79% (n = 1261)

43% (n = 314)

< 0.001

Diabetes

29% (n = 459)

11% (n = 77)

< 0.001

Cigarette smoking

64% (n = 1017)

33% (n = 242)

< 0.001

Hypercholesterolaemia

50% (n = 800)

33% (n = 241)

< 0.001

Hypertension

45% (n = 719)

32% (n = 230)

< 0.001

Heredity for CAD‡

26% (n = 412)

22% (n = 158)

0.040