Table 1 Baseline characteristics according to LDL-cholesterol level

343,781

305,842

389,404

415,948

380,029

297,720

203,636

266,217

Male

235,091 (68.4%)

192,013 (62.7%)

242,681 (62.3%)

256,338 (61.6%)

227,758 (59.9%)

170,905 (57.4%)

110,355 (54.1%)

127,157 (47.7%)

Age (years)

58.0 ± 12.1

58.2 ± 12.4

57.6 ± 12.5

57.3 ± 12.5

57.1 ± 12.4

56.9 ± 12.3

56.9 ± 12.1

56.9 ± 11.9

< 0.001

Age groups

< 0.001

 < 40 years

23,448 (6.8%)

22,404 (7.3%)

30,930 (7.9%)

33,586 (8.0%)

29,972 (7.8%)

22,736 (7.6%)

15,137 (7.4%)

18,440 (6.9%)

 40–64 years

211,359 (61.4%)

182,765 (59.7%)

236,222 (60.6%)

256,037 (61.5%)

237,927 (62.6%)

189,987 (63.8%)

131,252 (64.4%)

174,977 (65.7%)

 ≥ 65 years

108,974 (31.7%)

100,673 (32.9%)

122,252 (31.3%)

126,325 (30.3%)

112,130 (29.5%)

84,997 (28.5%)

57,247 (28.1%)

72,800 (27.3%)

BMI (kg/m²)

24.9 ± 3.4

24.8 ± 3.4

24.8 ± 3.4

24.9 ± 3.4

25.1 ± 3.3

25.2 ± 3.3

25.3 ± 3.3

25.4 ± 3.3

< 0.001

BMI groups

< 0.001

 < 18.5

7456 (2.1%)

6480 (2.1%)

7557 (1.9%)

6856 (1.6%)

5188 (1.3%)

3519 (1.1%)

2004 (0.9%)

2538 (0.9%)

 < 23

89,058 (25.9%)

82,116 (26.8%)

103,622 (26.6%)

107,561 (25.8%)

93,542 (24.6%)

69,772 (23.4%)

45,379 (22.2%)

57,156 (21.4%)

 < 25

83,318 (24.2%)

75,096 (24.5%)

96,421 (24.7%)

103,432 (24.8%)

95,642 (25.1%)

74,654 (25.0%)

50,990 (25.0%)

65,891 (24.7%)

 < 30

139,334 (40.5%)

120,471 (39.3%)

153,721 (39.4%)

167,244 (40.2%)

155,697 (40.9%)

125,535 (42.1%)

87,892 (43.1%)

116,545 (43.7%)

 ≥ 30

24,615 (7.1%)

21,679 (7.0%)

28,083 (7.2%)

30,855 (7.4%)

29,960 (7.8%)

24,240 (8.1%)

17,371 (8.5%)

24,087 (9.0%)

Waist circumference (cm)

85.8 ± 8.7

85.2 ± 8.8

85.1 ± 8.7

85.2 ± 8.7

85.4 ± 8.6

85.5 ± 8.5

85.6 ± 8.4

85.6 ± 8.5

< 0.001

Income, lowest Q1

73,235 (21.3%)

63,875 (20.8%)

80,925 (20.7%)

87,028 (20.9%)

79,498 (20.9%)

62,148 (20.8%)

42,551 (20.9%)

57,194 (21.4%)

< 0.001

Smoking

< 0.001

 Non-smoker

168,846 (49.1%)

165,626 (54.1%)

213,368 (54.7%)

229,606 (55.2%)

213,254 (56.1%)

170,622 (57.3%)

120,511 (59.1%)

166,465 (62.5%)

 Ex-smoker

70,670 (20.5%)

60,372 (19.7%)

74,524 (19.1%)

79,039 (19.0%)

70,311 (18.5%)

52,712 (17.7%)

34,019 (16.7%)

39,383 (14.7%)

 Current-smoker

104,265 (30.3%)

79,844 (26.1%)

101,512 (26.0%)

107,303 (25.8%)

96,464 (25.3%)

74,386 (24.9%)

49,106 (24.1%)

60,369 (22.6%)

Drinking

< 0.001

 Non-drinker

175,256 (50.9%)

172,941 (56.5%)

219,889 (56.4%)

235,592 (56.6%)

218,788 (57.5%)

175,221 (58.8%)

123,371 (60.5%)

170,436 (64.0%)

 Mild-drinker

118,004 (34.3%)

99,584 (32.5%)

129,764 (33.3%)

139,985 (33.6%)

126,755 (33.3%)

97,033 (32.5%)

64,152 (31.5%)

76,820 (28.8%)

 Heavy-smoker

50,521 (14.7%)

33,317 (10.8%)

39,751 (10.2%)

40,371 (9.7%)

34,486 (9.0%)

25,466 (8.5%)

16,113 (7.9%)

18,961 (7.1%)

Regular exercise

73,598 (21.4%)

66,558 (21.7%)

83,520 (21.4%)

87,235 (20.9%)

77,830 (20.4%)

59,518 (19.9%)

39,604 (19.4%)

48,162 (18.0%)

< 0.001

Hypertension

222,974 (64.8%)

186,846 (61.0%)

225,132 (57.8%)

231,510 (55.6%)

205,451 (54.0%)

158,397 (53.2%)

107,310 (52.7%)

140,427 (52.7%)

< 0.001

SBP (mmHg)

128.9 ± 15.8

128.4 ± 15.6

128.5 ± 15.6

128.7 ± 15.7

129 ± 15.7

129.3 ± 15.8

129.6 ± 15.9

130.2 ± 16.3

< 0.001

DBP (mmHg)

78.7 ± 10.4

78.2 ± 10.1

78.5 ± 10.1

78.8 ± 10.2

79.1 ± 10.2

79.4 ± 10.2

79.7 ± 10.3

80.1 ± 10.4

< 0.001

Diabetes mellitus duration, ≥ 5 years

132,768 (38.6%)

114,238 (37.3%)

133,056 (34.1%)

131,108 (31.5%)

110,505 (29.0%)

79,651 (26.7%)

49,963 (24.5%)

58,226 (21.8%)

< 0.001

Use of insulin

41,380 (12.0%)

33,397 (10.9%)

37,117 (9.5%)

35,125 (8.4%)

28,896 (7.6%)

20,834 (7.0%)

13,386 (6.5%)

17,806 (6.6%)

< 0.001

Use of OHA, ≥ 3

64,369 (18.7%)

52,905 (17.3%)

60,506 (15.5%)

59,298 (14.2%)

50,296 (13.2%)

36,981 (12.4%)

23,550 (11.5%)

29,402 (11.0%)

< 0.001

Fasting glucose (mg/dL)

142.4 ± 48.7

140.1 ± 45.3

141.8 ± 45.7

143.5 ± 45.5

145.1 ± 45.9

147.0 ± 46.5

148.9 ± 47.6

152.8 ± 51.2

< 0.001

Use of statin

177,777 (51.7%)

128,879 (42.1%)

119,496 (30.6%)

93,357 (22.4%)

72,261 (19.0%)

60,416 (20.2%)

50,766 (24.9%)

98,495 (37.0%)

< 0.001

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

149.3 ± 35.5

162.3 ± 23.9

176.1 ± 22

190.3 ± 20.4

204.8 ± 19.5

219.9 ± 19.1

235.2 ± 18.8

268.3 ± 33.6

< 0.001

HDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)

51.6 ± 27.5

51.3 ± 21.6

51.5 ± 21.4

51.7 ± 21.6

51.7 ± 21.6

52.1 ± 23.0

52.6 ± 24.2

54.2 ± 30.2

< 0.001

LDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)

52.3 ± 15.6

77.4 ± 4.2

92.2 ± 4.3

106.9 ± 4.3

121.7 ± 4.3

136.6 ± 4.3

151.4 ± 4.2

185.2 ± 46.4

< 0.001

^aTriglyceride (mg/dL)

174.5 (174.0–174.9)

142.4 (142.1–142.7)

140.1 (139.9–140.4)

139.9 (139.6–140.1)

140.5 (140.3–140.8)

142.5 (142.2–142.7)

144.4 (144.1–144.7)

151.4 (151.1–151.7)

< 0.001