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Table 1 General characteristics of the MVD study population in the UAE study population

From: Alcohol consumption and microvascular dysfunction: a J-shaped association: The Maastricht Study

Characteristic

Total study population

(n = 3107)

Total alcohol consumption

None

(n = 498)

Light

(n = 964)

Moderate

(n = 620)

High

(n = 1,025)

Demographics

 Age, years

59.9 ± 8.2

59.0 ± 8.6

59.1 ± 8.8

60.1 ± 8.2

61.0 ± 7.2

 Men

1,582 (50.9)

163 (32.7)

555 (57.6)

357 (57.6)

507 (49.5)

Lifestyle factors

 Smoking status

  Never

1088 (35.0)

214 (43.0)

379 (39.3)

236 (38.1)

259 (25.3)

  Former

1,624 (52.3)

196 (39.4)

480 (49.8)

313 (50.5)

635 (62.0)

  Current

395 (12.7)

88 (17.7)

105 (10.9)

71 (11.5)

131 (12.8)

Body mass index*, kg/m2

27.0 ± 4.5

28.2 ± 5.5

27.5 ± 4.6

26.4 ± 3.9

26.3 ± 4.0

Waist circumference, cm

95.8 ± 13.7

97.4 ± 15.7

97.3 ± 14.0

94.5 ± 12.7

94.2 ± 12.7

Physical activity*, hours/day

2.0 ± 0.7

1.9 ± 0.8

1.9 ± 0.7

2.0 ± 0.6

2.1 ± 0.7

Dutch Healthy Diet score, points

83.2 ± 14.7

84.8 ± 14.7

84.9 ± 14.1

85.7 ± 14.4

79.4 ± 14.8

Cardiovascular risk factors

 Glucose metabolism status

  Normal glucose metabolism

1,760 (56.6)

209 (42.0)

538 (55.8)

385 (62.1)

628 (61.3)

  Prediabetes

460 (14.8)

59 (11.8)

137 (14.2)

90 (14.5)

174 (17.0)

  Type 2 diabetes

854 (27.5)

225 (45.2)

282 (29.3)

137 (22.1)

210 (20.5)

  Other types of diabetes

33 (1.1)

5 (1.0)

7 (0.7)

8 (1.3)

13 (1.3)

  Fasting plasma glucose*, mmol/l

5.5 [5.1–6.5]

5.8 [5.1–7.3]

5.5 [5.0–6.7]

5.5 [5.0–6.4]

5.5 [5.1–6.2]

  2-h post load plasma glucose*, mmol/l

9.3 [6.3–9.3]

7.4 [5.5–13.0]

6.3 [5.0–9.4]

6.1 [4.9–8.3]

6.1 [5.1–8.4]

  HbA1c*, %

5.7 [5.4–6.2]

5.9 [5.5–6.7]

5.7 [5.3–6.3]

5.6 [5.3–6.1]

5.6 [5.3–6.0]

  Use of glucose-lowering medication

697 (22.4)

196 (39.4)

244 (25.3)

102 (16.5)

155 (15.1)

  Total/HDL cholesterol ratio

3.7 ± 1.2

3.8 ± 1.2

3.8 ± 1.2

3.6 ± 1.1

3.5 ± 1.2

  Use of lipid-modifying medication

1,137 (36.6)

231 (46.4)

347 (36.0)

222 (35.8)

337 (32.9)

  Office systolic blood pressure, mm Hg

135.0 ± 18.3

134.4 ± 18.3

134.3 ± 18.1

135.9 ± 18.4

135.5 ± 18.3

  Office diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg

76.1 ± 9.9

75.0 ± 9.2

76.4 ± 10.0

76.3 ± 10.6

76.4 ± 9.8

  Ambulatory systolic blood pressure, mm Hg

118.9 ± 11.7

116.7 ± 11.1

118.6 ± 11.7

119.8 ± 11.8

119.7 ± 11.7

  Ambulatory diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg

73.4 ± 7.1

71.9 ± 9.0

73.7 ± 7.2

73.6 ± 7.3

73.7 ± 7.1

  Use of antihypertensive medication

1,252 (40.3)

261 (52.4)

387 (40.1)

236 (38.1)

368 (35.9)

  History of cardiovascular disease

522 (16.8)

115 (23.1)

175 (18.2)

101 (16.3)

131 (12.8)

  Diabetic retinopathy*

41 (1.6)

9 (2.1)

20 (2.5)

6 (1.1)

6 (0.6)

  eGFR, ml/min/1.732

88.0 ± 14.9

86.4 ± 17.3

87.3 ± 15.5

88.6 ± 14.6

89.0 ± 13.2

Biomarkers of low-grade inflammation*

 C-reactive protein, µg/ml

1.2 [6.1–2.8]

1.7 [0.7–3.8]

1.4 [0.7–3.0]

1.2 [0.6–2.5]

1.0 [0.6–2.3]

 Serum amyloid A, µg/ml

3.3 [2.1–5.4]

3.7 [2.3–6.4]

3.3 [1.9–5.7]

3.2 [2.0–5.3]

3.2 [2.1–5.1]

 Tumour necrosis factor alpha, pg/ml

2.2 [1.9–2.6]

2.3 [1.9–2.7]

2.2 [1.9–2.6]

2.2 [1.9–2.5]

2.1 [1.8–2.5]

 Interleukin-6, pg/ml

4.1 [3.3–5.3]

0.7 [0.5–1.0]

0.6 [0.4–0.9]

0.6 [0.4–0.8]

0.6 [0.4–0.9]

 Interleukin-8, pg/ml

4.1 [3.3–5.3]

4.2 [3.4–5.4]

4.2 [3.3–5.4]

3.9 [3.2–5.3]

4.2 [3.3–5.3]

Other

 Educational status

  Low

1041 (33.5)

225 (45.2)

331 (34.3)

190 (30.6)

295 (28.8)

  Medium

877 (28.2)

158 (31.7)

285 (29.6)

172 (27.7)

262 (25.6)

  High

1189 (38.3)

115 (23.1)

348 (36.1)

258 (41.6)

468 (45.7)

 Occupational status*

  Low

801 (31.0)

177 (46.6)

265 (32.5)

151 (28.8)

208 (20.3)

  Middle

922 (35.7)

130 (34.2)

289 (35.5)

198 (37.7)

305 (35.3)

  High

860 (33.3)

73 (19.2)

261 (32.0)

176 (33.5)

350 (40.6)

  Income per month*, euros

2028 ± 818

1653 ± 704

1919 ± 725

2123 ± 823

2229 ± 869

Alcohol consumption

 Total alcohol consumption, units/day

0.85 [0.2–1.9]

0.0 ± 0.0

0.3 [0.1–0.5]

1.1 [0.8–1.5]

2.3 [1.8–3.1]

 Total wine consumption, units/day

0.3 [0.0–1.1]

0.0 ± 0.0

0.1 [0.0–0.3]

0.6 [0.3–0.9]

1.7 [0.9–2.1]

 Total beer consumption, gram/day

0.1 [0.0–0.5]

0.0 ± 0.0

0.1 [0.0–0.3]

0.3 [0.0–0.8]

0.3 [0.0–1.6]

 Total spirits consumption, units/day

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 ± 0.0

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.1]

Endpoints

 CSVD features

  White matter hyperintensity volume, ml†

0.0 [0.0–0.1]

0.0 [0.0–0.1]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.1]

0.0 [0.0–0.1]

  Presence of cerebral microbleeds†

245 (11.8)

26 (8.3)

74 (11.8)

60 (14.2)

85 (11.9)

  Number of cerebral microbleeds

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

  Presence of lacunar infarcts†

114 (5.5)

20 (6.4)

37 (5.9)

21 (5.0)

36 (5.0)

  Number of lacunar infarcts

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

0.0 [0.0–0.0]

  Composite score†

0.0 ± 1.0

− 0.0 ± 1.0

− 0.0 ± 1.0

0.0 ± 1.0

0.0 ± 1.0

Retinal microvascular diameters

 Arteriolar diameter, MU†

142.3 ± 20.2

145.3 ± 19.9

143.0 ± 20.1

140.9 ± 20.7

141.1 ± 20.1

 Venular diameter, MU†

214.6 ± 31.4

218.2 ± 31.3

215.6 ± 32.2

211.0 ± 31.4

214.0 ± 30.4

 Composite score†

0.0 ± 1.0

− 0.0 ± 1.0

− 0.0 ± 1.0

0.1 ± 1.0

0.0 ± 1.0

Flicker light-induced increase in retinal microvascular diameters

 Arteriolar flicker light-induced dilation, MU†

4.4 ± 3.6

4.1 ± 3.7

4.3 ± 3.4

4.8 ± 3.8

4.3 ± 3.5

 Venular flicker light-induced dilation, MU†

7.6 ± 4.1

7.7 ± 4.2

7.5 ± 4.0

7.5 ± 4.1

7.7 ± 4.1

 Composite score†

0.0 ± 1.0

0.0 ± 1.0

0.0 ± 1.0

-0.1 ± 1.0

-0.0 ± 1.0

 Heat-induced skin hyperemia, PU†

112.1 ± 57.3

113.1 ± 61.4

107.7 ± 53.0

109.9 ± 55.5

116.9 ± 59.8

 UAE, mg/24 h†

6.7 [4.0–11.9]

7.3 [4.4–14.2]

6.7 [4.2–12.3]

6.4 [3.8–11.0]

6.5 [3.9–11.4]

  ≥ 30 mg/24 h†

270 (18.7)

59 (11.8)

86 (8.9)

47 (7.6)

78 (7.6)

Plasma biomarkers of MVD composite score

 sICAM-1, ng/ml†

353.9 ± 99.8

390.0 ± 134.2

349.2 ± 89.6

347.2 ± 95.5

344.6 ± 87.2

 sVCAM-1, ng/ml†

428 ± 101.0

450.1 ± 125.9

432.8 ± 99.2

427.8 ± 96.3

412.9 ± 88.6

 sE-selectin, ng/ml†

117.8 ± 65.7

131.8 ± 90.7

117.9 ± 64.2

119 ± 58.2

114.3 ± 55.0

 vWF, %†

132.6 ± 48.4

140.4 ± 52.0

133.7 ± 47.1

131.5 ± 48.4

128.4 ± 47.3

 Composite score†

0.0 ± 1.0

0.4 ± 1.3

0.0 ± 0.9

− 0.1 ± 1.0

− 0.1 ± 0.9

  1. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, median [interquartile range] or n (%)
  2. Definitions of alcohol consumption categories: none (< 1 unit per week [for both men and women]); light (≥ 1 unit/week to 1 unit/day for men, ≥ 1 unit/week to 0.5 unit/day for women); moderate (> 1 to 2 units/day for men, > 0.5 to 1 unit/day for women); and high (> 2 units/day for men, > 1 units/day for women)
  3. HbA1c glycated hemoglobin, HDL high-density lipoprotein, SD standard deviation, CSVD cerebral small vessel disease, SD standard deviation, MVD microvascular dysfunction, PU perfusion units, ICAM soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, sVCAM soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1, sE-selectin soluble E-selectin, vWF von Willebrand factor, UAE urinary albumin excretion, MU measurement units
  4. †value shown for study population with complete data on cerebral small vessel disease, or retinal arteriolar and venular diameters, or flicker light-induced increase in retinal arteriolar and venular diameter, or heat-induced skin hyperemia, or UAE, or plasma biomarkers of microvascular dysfunction i.e. for features of cerebral small vessel disease n = 2075; for retinal arteriolar and venular diameters n = 2721; for flicker light-induced increase in retinal arteriolar and venular diameter n = 2090; for heat-induced skin hyperemia n = 1517; for urinary albumin excretion n = 3107; and for plasma biomarkers of microvascular dysfunction n = 3078
  5. *Data were available for: ambulatory blood pressure, n = 1345; BMI, n = 3106; physical activity, n = 2408; fasting plasma glucose, n = 3106; 2-h post load glucose, n = 2868; HbA1c, n = 3100; diabetic retinopathy, n = 2610; eGFR, n = 3082; biomarkers of low grade-inflammation, n = 2079; occupational status, n = 2,583; income, n = 2,368