Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study subjects according to SBP/DBP categories
Characteristic |  < 120/ < 70 mmHg |  | 120–129/70–79 mmHg |  | 130–139/80–89 mmHg |  | 140–149/90–99 mmHg |  |  ≥ 150/ ≥ 100 mmHg |  | P value | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N | 10,077 | 4.18% | 59,116 | 24.51% | 99,595 | 41.30% | 49,915 | 20.70% | 22,445 | 9.31% | Â | 241,148 | 100% |
Age, median (IQR), years | 56 (48–64) |  | 57 (49–64) |  | 57(49–64) |  | 59 (50–66) |  | 62 (53–68) |  |  < 0.001 | 58 (50–66) |  |
Sex |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 Men | 3604 | 35.76% | 27,612 | 46.71% | 52,940 | 53.16% | 26,277 | 52.64% | 11,374 | 50.67% |  | 121,807 | 50.51% |
 Women | 6473 | 64.24% | 31,504 | 53.29% | 46,655 | 46.84% | 23,638 | 47.36% | 11,071 | 49.33% |  | 119,341 | 49.49% |
Body mass index, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 23.31 (3.06) |  | 24.49 (3.15) |  | 25.12 (3.18) |  | 25.35 (3.29) |  | 25.33 (3.51) |  |  < 0.001 | 24.96 (3.26) |  |
  < 18.5 | 479 | 4.75% | 1158 | 1.96% | 1224 | 1.23% | 560 | 1.12% | 353 | 1.57% |  | 3774 | 1.57% |
 18.5–22.9 | 4269 | 42.36% | 17,432 | 29.49% | 22,792 | 22.88% | 10,728 | 21.49% | 5146 | 22.93% |  | 60,367 | 25.03% |
 23.0–24.9 | 2507 | 24.88% | 15,863 | 26.83% | 25,771 | 25.88% | 12,251 | 24.54% | 5330 | 23.75% |  | 61,722 | 25.60% |
  ≥ 25.0 | 2822 | 28.00% | 24,663 | 41.72% | 49,808 | 50.01% | 26,376 | 52.84% | 11,616 | 51.75% |  | 115,285 | 47.81% |
BP, mean (SD), mmHg | |||||||||||||
 Systolic BP | 110.03 (6.14) |  | 121.59 (5.43) |  | 132.06 (4.91) |  | 142.87 (4.01) |  | 156.98 (7.87) |  |  < 0.001 | 133.13 |  |
 Diastolic BP | 65.68 (3.19) |  | 74.72 (3.35) |  | 81.81 (4.21) |  | 86.82 (5.63) |  | 91.92 (7.77) |  |  < 0.001 | 81.38 |  |
Smoking |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 Never | 7320 | 72.64% | 39,755 | 67.25% | 65,049 | 65.31% | 33,616 | 67.35% | 15,748 | 70.16% |  | 161,488 | 66.97% |
 Past | 1211 | 12.02% | 9563 | 16.18% | 18,138 | 18.21% | 8629 | 17.29% | 3271 | 14.57% |  | 40,812 | 16.92% |
 Current | 1546 | 15.34% | 9798 | 16.57% | 16,408 | 16.47% | 7670 | 15.37% | 3426 | 15.26% |  | 38,848 | 16.11% |
Physical activity, times/week |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 0 | 5461 | 54.19% | 31,021 | 52.47% | 50,802 | 51.01% | 26,683 | 53.46% | 12,978 | 57.82% |  | 126,945 | 52.64% |
 1–2 | 1498 | 14.87% | 8590 | 14.53% | 14,609 | 14.67% | 7041 | 14.11% | 3165 | 14.10% |  | 34,903 | 14.47% |
 3–4 | 1142 | 11.33% | 7141 | 12.08% | 12,414 | 12.46% | 5860 | 11.74% | 2250 | 10.02% |  | 28,807 | 11.95% |
 5–6 | 835 | 8.29% | 5205 | 8.80% | 9001 | 9.04% | 4098 | 8.21% | 1481 | 6.60% |  | 20,620 | 8.55% |
 7 | 1141 | 11.32% | 7159 | 12.11% | 12,769 | 12.82% | 6233 | 12.49% | 2571 | 11.45% |  | 29,873 | 12.39% |
Alcohol consumption, times/week |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 0 | 7676 | 76.17% | 40,734 | 68.91% | 62,821 | 63.08% | 31,182 | 62.47% | 14,365 | 64.00% |  | 156,778 | 67.40% |
  < 1 | 1146 | 11.37% | 7279 | 12.31% | 12,906 | 12.96% | 5790 | 11.60% | 2225 | 9.91% |  | 29,346 | 12.62% |
 1–2 | 860 | 8.53% | 7531 | 12.74% | 16,077 | 16.14% | 8219 | 16.47% | 3449 | 15.37% |  | 36,136 | 15.54% |
 3–4 | 221 | 2.19% | 1948 | 3.30% | 4433 | 4.45% | 2517 | 5.04% | 1217 | 5.42% |  | 10,336 | 4.44% |
  ≥ 5 | 174 | 1.73% | 1624 | 2.75% | 3358 | 3.37% | 2207 | 4.42% | 1189 | 5.30% |  |  | 0.00% |
Household income, quartiles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 First (highest) | 3708 | 36.80% | 21,254 | 35.95% | 35,335 | 35.48% | 16,743 | 33.54% | 6866 | 30.59% |  | 83,906 | 34.79% |
 Second | 2470 | 24.51% | 14,685 | 24.84% | 24,505 | 24.60% | 12,246 | 24.53% | 5435 | 24.21% |  | 59,341 | 24.61% |
 Third | 1920 | 19.05% | 11,488 | 19.43% | 19,105 | 19.18% | 10,208 | 20.45% | 4822 | 21.48% |  | 47,543 | 19.72% |
 Fourth (lowest) | 1979 | 19.64% | 11,689 | 19.77% | 20,650 | 20.73% | 10,718 | 21.47% | 5322 | 23.71% |  | 50,358 | 20.88% |
Fasting blood glucose, mean (SD), mg/dL | 114.52 (43.59) |  | 117.74 (43.57) |  | 117.80 (41.65) |  | 119.55 (42.73) |  | 123.60 (47.00) |  |  < 0.001 | 118.55 (42.99) |  |
  < 100.0 | 4884 | 48.47% | 24,654 | 41.70% | 39,129 | 39.29% | 18,280 | 36.62% | 7515 | 33.48% |  | 94,462 | 39.17% |
 100.0–125.9 | 2736 | 27.15% | 18,458 | 31.22% | 33,650 | 33.79% | 17,310 | 34.68% | 7567 | 33.71% |  | 79,721 | 33.06% |
  ≥ 126.0 | 2457 | 24.38% | 16,004 | 27.07% | 26,816 | 26.93% | 14,325 | 28.70% | 7363 | 32.80% |  | 66,965 | 27.77% |
Total cholesterol, mean (SD), mg/dL | 186.85 (39.11) |  | 190.71 (41.34) |  | 193.54 (42.84) |  | 196.51 (46.45) |  | 199.20 (47.34) |  |  < 0.001 | 193.71 (43.64) |  |
  < 200.0 | 6615 | 65.64% | 36,604 | 61.92% | 59,020 | 59.26% | 28,087 | 56.27% | 12,023 | 53.57% |  | 142,349 | 59.03% |
 200.0–239.9 | 2530 | 25.11% | 16,234 | 27.46% | 28,763 | 28.88% | 15,238 | 30.53% | 7005 | 31.21% |  | 69,770 | 28.93% |
  ≥ 240.0 | 932 | 9.25% | 6278 | 10.62% | 11,812 | 11.86% | 6590 | 13.20% | 3417 | 15.22% |  | 29,029 | 12.04% |
Aspirin |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 No | 7351 | 72.95% | 42,226 | 71.43% | 70,117 | 70.40% | 35,113 | 70.35% | 15,832 | 70.54% |  | 170,639 | 70.76% |
 Yes | 2726 | 27.05% | 16,890 | 28.57% | 29,478 | 29.60% | 14,802 | 29.65% | 6613 | 29.46% |  | 70,509 | 29.24% |
Statin |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 No | 7979 | 79.18% | 47,773 | 80.81% | 82,682 | 83.02% | 42,381 | 84.91% | 19,298 | 85.98% |  | 200,113 | 82.98% |
 Yes | 2098 | 20.82% | 11,343 | 19.19% | 16,913 | 16.98% | 7534 | 15.09% | 3147 | 14.02% |  | 41,035 | 17.02% |
Aspirin or statin |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 No | 6217 | 61.69% | 36,379 | 61.54% | 62,035 | 62.29% | 31,623 | 63.35% | 14,373 | 64.04% |  | 150,627 | 62.46% |
 Yes | 3860 | 38.31% | 22,737 | 38.46% | 37,560 | 37.71% | 18,292 | 36.65% | 8072 | 35.96% |  | 90,521 | 37.54% |
Anti-hypertensive medications |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  < 0.001 |  |  |
 No | 6886 | 68.33% | 36,049 | 60.98% | 55,657 | 55.88% | 26,173 | 52.44% | 10,811 | 48.17% |  | 135,576 | 56.22% |
 Yes | 3191 | 31.67% | 23,067 | 39.02% | 43,938 | 44.12% | 23,742 | 47.56% | 11,634 | 51.83% |  | 105,572 | 43.78% |