Table 1 Baseline characteristics of subjects in the total sample

Sample size^a

2527

1292

794

441

Age, y

70.1 (8.8)

62.6 (4.2)

75.5 (2.9)

82.6 (1.5)

Female, %

51.2

52.3

50.0

50.3

0.48

Education, y

9.1 (3.4)

9.5 (3.3)

8.7 (3.2)

8.6 (3.7)

< 0.01

Follow-up, y (median, IQR)

9.1 (3.2–19.0)

13.3 (8.9–19.2)

6.2 (3.0–13.0)

4.9 (3.3–8.9)

< 0.01

MMSE, points (median, IQR)

28 (27–29)

29 (26–30)

28 (24–30)

27 (24–30)

< 0.01

Change in MMSE per year (SE)

−0.11 (0.00)

− 0.06 (0.00)

− 0.18 (0.01)

− 0.25 (0.02)

< 0.01

15WT immediate recall, words

8.1 (2.5)

8.9 (2.3)

7.6 (2.4)

6.3 (2.1)

< 0.01

Change in 15WT immediate recall per year (SE)

−0.11 (0.00)

−0.07 (0.00)

− 0.11 (0.01)

−0.07 (0.02)

< 0.01

15WT delayed recall, words

5.3 (2.7)

6.2 (2.6)

4.7 (2.5)

3.5 (2.2)

< 0.01

Change in 15WT delayed recall per year (SE)

−0.11 (0.00)

−0.05 (0.01)

− 0.10 (0.01)

−0.06 (0.02)

< 0.01

APOE ε4, %^c

26.3

27.8

25.2

23.6

0.29

Total cholesterol, mmol/L

5.7 (1.0)

5.9 (1.0)

5.6 (1.0)

5.3 (1.1)

< 0.01

LDL cholesterol, mmol/L

3.7 (1.0)

3.8 (0.9)

3.6 (0.9)

3.4 (1.1)

< 0.01

HDL cholesterol, mmol/L

1.3 (0.4)

1.3 (0.4)

1.4 (0.4)

1.3 (0.4)

0.48

Homocysteine, mmol/L

14.5 (6.1)

13.5 (5.2)

14.7 (5.0)

17.2 (9.2)

< 0.01

Vitamin B12, pMol/L (median, IR)

266 (212–333)

268 (219–335)

264 (213–331)

249 (196–333)

0.12

Hypertension, %

76.7

72.9

82.2

73.7

< 0.01

Myocardial infarction, %

8.8

6.4

11.1

11.7

< 0.01

Diabetes mellitus, %

7.0

4.3

8.6

12.3

< 0.01

Stroke, %

4.4

1.6

6.7

8.7

< 0.01

CES-D total score (median, IQR)

5 (2–11)

5 (2–9)

6 (3–11)

7 (3–12)

< 0.01

IL-6, pg/ml (median, IQR)

1.4 (0.6–2.5)

1.3 (0.6–2.4)

1.6 (0.7–2.7)

1.8 (1.0–3.1)

< 0.01

CRP, ug/ml (median, IQR)

2.2 (1.0–4.7)

2.0 (0.9–3.9)

2.5 (1.3–5.6)

2.8 (1.4–5.7)

< 0.01

ACT, % of NHP

173.6 (57.6)

169.6 (53.0)

179.3 (66.1)

177.2 (54.1)

0.01

 None

20.1

15.6

25.3

24.7

< 0.01

 Minimal^d

20.6

17.8

23.6

23.6

 Moderate^e

59.4

66.6

51.1

51.7

Smokers, %

24.6

30.4

23.1

19.8

< 0.01

Total physical activity, min per day

169.2 (114.2)

188.4 (121.3)

160.0 (103.7)

126.8 (95.3)

< 0.01