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Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of the overall sample (N = 7377) and by age groups

From: Cardiovascular risk factors and memory decline in middle-aged and older adults: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Age group

 

Overall sample

50–64

65–79

P value

N = 7377

n = 4372 (59.3%)

n = 3005 (40.7%)

Socio-demographics characteristics

 Female, n (%)

3996 (54.2%)

2349 (53.7%)

1647 (54.8%)

.360

 Age, mean (SD)

62.6 (8.1)

56.8 (4.1)

71 (4.1)

<.001

Marital status, n (%)

 Never married

380 (5.2%)

244 (5.6%)

136 (4.5%)

<.001

 Married/remarried

5190 (70.4%)

3257 (74.5%)

1933 (64.3%)

 

 Separated/divorced

870 (11.8%)

632 (14.5%)

238 (7.9%)

 

 Widowed

937 (12.7%)

239 (5.5%)

698 (23.2%)

 

Education level, n (%)

   

<.001

 Low

2785 (37.8%)

1304 (29.8%)

1481 (49.3%)

 

 Medium

2269 (30.8%)

1408 (32.2%)

861 (28.7%)

 

 High

2323 (31.5%)

1660 (38.0%)

663 (22.1%)

 

Quintiles of wealth, n (%)

   

<.001

 Lowest

1163 (15.8%)

596 (13.6%)

567 (18.9%)

 

 2nd

1405 (19.1%)

808 (18.5%)

597 (19.9%)

 

 3rd

1516 (20.6%)

904 (20.7%)

612 (20.4%)

 

 4th

1625 (22%)

992 (22.7%)

633 (21.1%)

 

 Highest

1668 (22.6%)

1072 (24.5%)

596 (19.8%)

 

Cardiovascular risk factors

 High blood pressure, n (%)

2671 (36.2%)

1340 (30.6%)

1331 (44.3%)

<.001

 Diabetes, n (%)

476 (6.5%)

205 (4.7%)

271 (9.0%)

<.001

 Obesity, n (%)

1914 (26%)

1128 (25.8%)

786 (26.2%)

.732

 Currently or past smoking, n (%)

4711 (63.9%)

2784 (63.7%)

1927 (64.1%)

.694

 Physical inactivity, n (%)

1427 (19.3%)

714 (16.3%)

713 (23.7%)

<.001

Number of cardiovascular risk factors, n (%)

   

<.001

 None

1172 (15.9%)

785 (18.0%)

387 (12.9%)

 

 One

2876 (39%)

1810 (41.4%)

1066 (35.5%)

 

 Two

2014 (27.3%)

1130 (25.8%)

884 (29.4%)

 

 Three or more

1315 (17.8%)

647 (14.8%)

668 (22.2%)

 

Non-CVDs

 Chronic lung disease, n (%)

440 (6%)

214 (4.9%)

226 (7.5%)

<.001

 Asthma, n (%)

852 (11.6%)

519 (11.9%)

333 (11.1%)

0.297

 Arthritis, n (%)

2241 (30.4%)

1129 (25.8%)

1112 (37.0%)

<.001

 Osteoporosis, n (%)

327 (4.4%)

132 (3.0%)

195 (6.5%)

<.001

 Cancer, n (%)

413 (5.6%)

204 (4.7%)

209 (7.0%)

<.001

Number of non-CVDs, n (%)

   

<.001

 None

4081 (55.3%)

2655 (60.7%)

1426 (47.5%)

 

 One

2484 (33.7%)

1319 (30.2%)

1165 (38.8%)

 

 Two or more

812 (11%)

398 (9.1%)

414 (13.8%)

 

CVDs

 Angina, n (%)

629 (8.5%)

232 (5.3%)

397 (13.2%)

<.001

 Heart attack, n (%)

379 (5.1%)

138 (3.2%)

241 (8.0%)

<.001

 Congestive heart failure, n (%)

48 (0.7%)

13 (0.3%)

35 (1.2%)

<.001

 Abnormal heart rhythm, n (%)

431 (5.8%)

204 (4.7%)

227 (7.6%)

<.001

 Stroke, n (%)

217 (2.9%)

74 (1.7%)

143 (4.8%)

<.001

Number of CVDs, n (%)

   

<.001

 None

6103 (82.7%)

3868 (88.5%)

2235 (74.4%)

 

 One

945 (12.8%)

392 (9.0%)

553 (18.4%)

 

 Two or more

329 (4.5%)

112 (2.6%)

217 (7.2%)

 

Missing-data pattern

 Completer, n (%)

3924 (53.2%)

2553 (58.4%)

1371 (45.6%)

<.001

 Non-completer, n (%)

3453 (46.8%)

1819 (41.6%)

1634 (54.4%)

 

Depression

 CES-D, mean (SD)

1.5 (1.9)

1.4 (2)

1.5 (1.9)

.005

Outcome

 Immediate recall, mean (SD)

5.70 (1.63)

6.06 (1.55)

5.18 (1.61)

<.001

 Delayed recall, mean (SD)

4.28 (1.99)

4.74 (1.86)

3.61 (1.98)

<.001

 Total score episodic memory, mean (SD)

10.0 (3.3)

10.8 (3.1)

8.8 (3.3)

<.001

  1. Note: SD Standard Deviation, CES-D Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, non CVDs non-cardiovascular diseases, CVDs Cardiovascular diseases. CES-D scores ranged from 0 to 8; immediate and delayed recall ranged from 0 to 10; total score for episodic memory ranged from 0 to 20; low education level included people with no qualifications