| Variables | All (n = 3143) No (%) | Men (n = 1503) No (%) | Women (n = 1640) No (%) | p Value |
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 51.6 (10.8) | 51.9 (10.6) | 51.3 (11.0) | 0.147 |
| Formal schooling status (%) | ||||
| Middle school (grade 7 or less) | 2137 (68.0) | 881 (58.6) | 1256 (76.6) | <0.001 |
| Higher education (greater than middle school) | 1006 (32.0) | 622 (41.4) | 384 (23.4) | |
| Physical activity* (METS) median (25th–75th centile) | 577.5 (82.5–1680) | 773 (264–2766) | 355 (0–1188) | <0.001 |
| Past smoker†, No (%) | 319 (10.1) | 300 (20.0) | 19 (1.2) | <0.001 |
| Body mass index, mean (SD) | 25.6 (5.5) | 24.3 (4.7) | 26.7 (5.8) | <0.001 |
| Overweight/obesity‡, No (%) | 2113 (67.4) | 893 (59.5) | 1220 (74.6) | <0.001 |
| Waist circumference, mean (SD) | 89.2 (12.5) | 91.0 (12.8) | 87.7 (12.1) | <0.001 |
| Central obesity§, No (%) | 2064 (65.7) | 835 (55.6) | 1229 (74.9) | <0.001 |
| Waist:hip ratio, median (25th–75th centile) | 0.9 (0.8–0.9) | 0.96 (0.90–1.0) | 0.86 (0.81–0.91) | <0.001 |
| Glucose fasting (mmol/l), mean (SD) | 6.4 (2.8) | 6.3 (2.7) | 6.6 (2.9) | 0.005 |
| Serum cholesterol (mmol/l), mean (SD) | 4.87 (1.02) | 4.76 (0.95) | 4.96 (1.07) | <0.001 |
| LDL (mmol/l), mean (SD) | 2.99 (0.80) | 2.94 (0.75) | 3.04 (0.83) | 0.003 |
| HDL (mmol/l), mean (SD) | 1.04 (0.26) | 1.00 (0.22) | 1.12 (0.28) | <0.001 |
| Total lipids (g/l), mean (SD) | 8.4 (1.4) | 8.4 (1.5) | 8.4 (1.4) | 0.554 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/l), mean (SD) | 1.80 (1.08) | 1.87 (1.19) | 1.73 (0.96) | 0.001 |
| Cholesterol:HDL ratio, mean (SD) | 4.90 (1.39) | 5.18 (1.4) | 4.6 (1.35) | 0.007 |
| Hypertension¶, No (%) | 1341 (44.0) | 501 (34.8) | 840 (52.3) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes**, No (%) | 627 (21.1) | 267 (19.4) | 360 (23.8) | 0.004 |
| Hyperlipidaemia††, No (%) | 1007 (34.9) | 420 (30.5) | 587 (39.0) | <0.001 |
| High LDL‡‡, No (%) | 868 (30.1) | 375 (27.3) | 493 (32.7) | 0.001 |
| Low HDL§§, No (%) | 2087 (72.4) | 929 (67.5) | 1158 (76.9) | <0.001 |
| Hypertrigyceridaemia¶¶, No (%) | 1229 (42.6) | 595 (43.2) | 634 (42.1) | 0.535 |
| Metabolic syndrome***, No (%) | 1327 (42.2) | 487 (32.4) | 840 (51.2) | <0.001 |
*Physical activity MET (metabolic equivalent) score was defined as: total MET−minutes/week = walk (METs−min×days) + moderate (METs×min×days) + vigorous (METs×min×days).
†Past smoker defined as those who smoked ⩾100 cigarettes in their lifetime.
‡Overweight/obesity defined as body mass index ⩾23 kg/m2.
§Central obesity defined as having a waist circumference of ⩾80 cm in women and ⩾90 cm in men.
¶Hypertension defined as mean systolic blood pressure ⩾140 mm Hg or mean diastolic blood pressure ⩾90 mm Hg.
**Diabetes defined as patients taking antihypertensive drugs, or having fasting blood sugar ⩾7.0 mmol/l.
††Hyperlipidaemia defined as fasting serum cholesterol of ⩾5.18 mmol/l.
‡‡High LDL defined as LDL ⩾3.37 mmol/l.
§§Low HDL defined as HDL <1.04 mmol/l in men or <1.30 mmol/l in women.
¶¶Hypertriglyceridaemia defined as serum triglyceride >1.70 mmol/l.
***Metabolic syndrome defined as the concomitant presence of at least three of the following: hypertension, high triglycerides (>1.70 mmol/l); or low HDL cholesterol (<1.04 mmol/l in men or <1.30 mmol/l in women), impaired glucose tolerance (fasting glucose ⩾6.1 mmol/l), or central obesity.
HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein.