Distribution of allostatic load scores, behavioural and anamnestic CVD risk factors and follow-up endpoints across the educational classes in men and women 35–74 years old, free of cardiovascular disease at baseline
| Characteristic* | Men | Women | ||||||
| Educational class | Educational class | |||||||
| Low (N=9415) | Intermediate (N=6266) | High (N=9629) | P value | Low (N=9849) | Intermediate (N=6556) | High (N=9613) | P value | |
| Age, years (SD) | 52.4 (9.6) | 53.1 (9.2) | 51.8 (9.3) | <0.0001 | 51.8 (9.6) | 52.7 (9.7) | 51.3 (9.7) | <0.0001 |
| Allostatic load score | 0.23 | 0.11 | −0.39 | <0.0001 | 0.70 | 0.06 | −0.69 | <0.0001 |
| Smoking status, % | ||||||||
| Never smokers | 32.0 | 33.8 | 41.6 | <0.0001 | 59.6 | 62.1 | 59.5 | <0.0001 |
| Former smokers | 34.8 | 37.0 | 36.9 | 14.1 | 17.7 | 21.9 | ||
| 1–10 cigarettes/day | 7.1 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 9.7 | 9.5 | 9.7 | ||
| 11–20 cigarettes/day | 17.7 | 14.7 | 10.8 | 13.9 | 9.3 | 7.9 | ||
| >20 cigarettes/day | 8.4 | 7.2 | 4.5 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | ||
| Alcohol intake, drinks/day (%) | ||||||||
| 0 (Abstainers) | 20.2 | 18.7 | 17.7 | <0.0001 | 49.2 | 43.8 | 39.2 | <0.0001 |
| 1–2 drinks/day | 42.9 | 46.1 | 52.9 | 46.0 | 51.1 | 55.3 | ||
| 3–4 drinks/day | 30.1 | 29.8 | 26.9 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 5.5 | ||
| 5 or more drinks/day | 6.7 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | ||
| Body mass index, Kg/m2 (%)† | ||||||||
| Normal weight | 28.5 | 28.4 | 30.8 | <0.0001 | 33.7 | 37.2 | 46.2 | <0.0001 |
| Overweight | 49.3 | 50.6 | 51.6 | 37.7 | 37.5 | 34.9 | ||
| Obese | 22.2 | 21.0 | 17.6 | 28.6 | 25.3 | 18.9 | ||
| Elevated blood pressure‡, % | 49.2 | 48.3 | 47.7 | 0.14 | 44.8 | 43.9 | 37.7 | <0.0001 |
| History of diabetes, % | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 0.03 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 0.002 |
| Outcomes, n | ||||||||
| Coronary heart disease | 978 | 532 | 562 | – | 522 | 214 | 223 | – |
*Age-adjusted mean or proportion estimated at age 52.
†Normal weight: BMI was considered 18.5–25 Kg/m2; overweight, BMI 25–30 Kg/m2; obese, BMI ≥30 Kg/m2.
‡Elevated blood pressure was considered >140/90 mm Hg.
BMI, body mass index; CVD, cardiovascular disease.