Table 1 Characteristics of the study population

Resting heart rate (1/min)

54 (53–54)

62 (62–63)*

75 (73–75)*^†

Age (years)

46 (44–48)

46 (44–47)

46 (44–47)

Sex (M/F)

101/71^‡

79/97

81/93

Body mass index (kg/m²)

26.2 (25.7–26.7)

26.5 (25.8–27.1)

27.3 (26.6–28.1)*

Waist circumference (cm)

92 (90–93)

92 (90–94)

94 (92–96)

Smoking (pack years)

2.3 (1.2–3.4)

1.8 (0.9–2.6)

3.5 (2.0–5.0)

Alcohol (drinks/week)

4 (3–5)

4 (3–5)

5 (4–6)

Leukocyte count (1*10⁹/l)

5.4 (5.2–5.6)

5.9 (5.6–6.1)*

6.1 (5.8–6.4)*

Haematocrit (%)

42 (42–43)

41 (41–42)

42 (41–43)

C-reactive protein (mg/l)

1.2 (1.0–1.4)

1.6 (1.2–2.0)

2.2 (1.6–2.9)*

Creatinine (μmol/l)

77 (75–79)

72 (70–74)*

71 (70–73)*

Estimated GFR (ml/min/1.73 m²)

112 (109–114)

111 (110–113)

112 (110–114)

Cystatin C (mg/l)

0.83 (0.81–0.85)

0.82 (0.80–0.84)

0.86 (0.83–0.88)

Sodium (mmol/l)

140 (140–141)

140 (140–141)

140 (140–140)

Potassium (mmol/l)

3.8 (3.8–3.9)

3.8 (3.8–3.9)

3.8 (3.7–3.8)

Fasting plasma

  Total cholesterol (mmol/l)

5.2 (5.0–5.4)

5.0 (4.8–5.1)*

5.2 (5.1–5.4)^†

  Triglycerides (mmol/l)

1.1 (1.0–1.2)

1.2 (1.1–1.3)

1.3 (1.2–1.5)*^†

  HDL cholesterol (mmol/l)

1.7 (1.6–1.7)

1.6 (1.5–1.6)

1.5 (1.5–1.6)

  LDL cholesterol (mmol/l)

3.0 (2.9–3.2)

2.9 (2.7–3.0)

3.1 (3.0–3.3)

  Glucose (mmol/l)

5.4 (5.3–5.5)

5.4 (5.3–5.4)

5.5 (5.4–5.6)