Table 1 Baseline characteristics of cohort participants according to categories of sodium and potassium intake and the sodium–potassium ratio^{a, b}

Men

Q1

Q3

Q5

Q1

Q3

Q5

Q1

Q3

Q5

 Sodium, mean (SD), mg/d

2183.53 (103.91)

2975.93 (137.31)

5090.90 (1155.20)

1720.94 (553.04)

2751.73 (688.07)

4433.94 (1449.23)

2875.65 (807.78)

3333.08 (1050.83)

3968.53 (1469.07)

 Potassium, mean (SD), mg/d

2883.49 (752.28)

3571.61 (857.46)

5308.32 (1518.88)

1835.57 (345.52)

3177.71 (173.46)

5533.11 (1233.87)

4807.60 (1475.10)

3889.58 (1224.29)

3340.47 (1244.06)

 Sodium–potassium ratio

0.81 (0.20)

0.88 (0.20)

1.00 (0.22)

0.95 (0.28)

0.87 (0.21)

0.81 (0.21)

0.61 (0.07)

0.86 (0.03)

1.20 (0.16)

 Age, years

62.01 (5.37)

61.79 (5.36)

61.13 (5.38)

61.89 (5.41)

61.88 (5.37)

61.42 (5.37)

61.98 (5.34)

61.74 (5.38)

61.18 (5.42)

 Body mass index, kg/m²

26.83 (4.12)

27.10 (4.10)

27.96 (4.82)

27.05 (4.24)

27.06 (4.17)

27.55 (4.56)

26.87 (4.12)

27.22 (4.24)

27.74 (4.70)

 Non-Hispanic white, %

92.65

94.09

92.15

87.11

93.64

92.43

92.80

93.89

91.59

 Vigorous physical activity (≥ 5/week), %

19.12

21.44

24.52

14.82

19.51

27.19

27.52

21.57

18.28

 Education (college or postgraduate), %

48.29

47.74

40.73

42.81

47.71

44.13

48.86

47.66

40.28

 Married, %

84.98

86.46

84.97

81.85

86.37

84.10

83.01

86.84

85.75

 Family history of cancer, %

47.29

48.02

47.19

45.22

47.49

47.09

47.34

48.18

47.18

 History of diabetes mellitus, %

7.09

7.79

11.05

7.96

7.73

9.35

6.69

8.09

10.83

 Current smoker, %

9.37

10.23

13.64

9.89

10.33

12.38

9.86

10.51

12.89

 Alcoholic drinks (> 3), %

10.33

11.34

12.98

7.94

10.70

13.90

13.24

11.60

10.19

 Energy intake, mean (SD), kcal

1566.10 (408.14)

2018.93 (455.63)

3164.33 (802.01)

1182.47 (410.64)

1843.97 (459.44)

2964.36 (877.25)

2231.49 (808.95)

2194.76 (739.77)

2383.74 (884.76)

 Fiber intake, mean (SD), g/1000 kcal

15.98 (5.79)

20.40 (6.80)

31.46 (11.85)

10.44 (3.78)

18.16 (4.96)

31.47 (11.51)

25.54 (11.40)

22.52 (9.50)

20.72 (9.14)

 Foods, servings, mean (SD)

  Fruit

2.62 (2.06)

2.95 (2.27)

3.84 (3.14)

1.39 (0.96)

2.51 (1.46)

4.88 (3.51)

5.36 (3.84)

2.97 (1.86)

1.87 (1.35)

  Vegetables

2.95 (1.34)

3.94 (1.66)

6.59 (3.21)

1.94 (0.95)

3.50 (1.37)

6.35 (3.18)

4.67 (2.76)

4.54 (2.45)

4.22 (2.36)

 HEI-2015 score, mean (SD)

67.81 (9.59)

66.89 (9.47)

64.10 (9.63)

63.13 (9.98)

66.64 (9.51)

68.48 (9.36)

72.66 (8.57)

67.63 (8.12)

58.74 (8.76)

 Vitamin supplement use, %

52.32

52.45

53.04

47.24

52.18

55.41

57.02

53.27

48.29

 Self-reported health (poor or fair), %

6.13

6.62

9.27

8.35

6.57

7.71

1.32

1.22

1.29

Women

Q1

Q3

Q5

Q1

Q3

Q5

Q1

Q3

Q5

 Sodium, mean (SD), mg/d

2176.00 (103.90)

2964.10 (136.30)

4920.17 (962.51)

1507.61 (504.09)

2412.59 (637.80)

3830.29 (1264.42)

2695.21 (679.75)

3027.15 (910.96)

3393.82 (1198.34)

 Potassium, mean (SD), mg/d

2963.95 (770.26)

3700.75 (926.38)

5450.09 (1547.95)

1773.89 (374.16)

3167.83 (174.64)

5443.99 (1162.98)

4556.40 (1309.31)

3537.26 (1059.38)

2862.71 (1036.60)

 Sodium–potassium ratio

0.78 (0.20)

0.85 (0.21)

0.95 (0.22)

0.86 (0.26)

0.76 (0.20)

0.71 (0.20)

0.60 (0.08)

0.86 (0.03)

1.20 (0.16)

 Age, years

61.72 (5.39)

61.48 (5.41)

61.16 (5.39)

61.58 (5.46)

61.68 (5.37)

61.58 (5.40)

61.88 (5.39)

61.48 (5.36)

60.92 (5.38)

 Body mass index, kg/m²

26.46 (5.69)

27.15 (6.23)

28.43 (7.14)

26.74 (5.94)

26.60 (5.76)

26.99 (6.31)

26.10 (5.59)

27.18 (6.12)

28.56 (7.06)

 Non-Hispanic white, %

91.49

91.10

84.00

87.44

91.49

85.79

89.33

91.25

87.42

 Vigorous physical activity (≥ 5/week), %

16.52

16.49

18.33

12.38

16.67

21.95

22.17

16.06

11.78

 Education (college or postgraduate), %

32.58

31.32

25.65

28.11

32.11

29.85

33.37

31.00

25.21

 Married, %

46.41

48.48

44.44

41.47

47.28

43.58

44.40

48.68

46.60

 Family history of cancer, %

51.60

52.07

48.53

50.75

51.57

49.55

50.77

51.59

50.68

 Diabetes mellitus, %

5.35

7.02

9.96

5.85

5.90

6.80

4.85

6.72

10.17

 Current smoker, %

13.40

13.96

15.57

14.64

13.99

14.10

13.43

13.37

16.21

 Alcoholic drinks (> 3), %

2.78

2.67

2.99

2.67

2.74

2.79

2.57

2.89

3.43

 Energy intake, mean (SD), kcal

1468.76 (277.63)

1908.73 (341.90)

2945.21 (648.15)

1013.50 (337.23)

1591.82 (387.03)

2515.19 (690.06)

1918.86 (559.70)

1896.48 (587.48)

2004.83 (709.16)

 Fiber intake, mean (SD), g/1000 kcal

16.68 (5.52)

21.60 (6.90)

33.52 (12.44)

10.14 (3.75)

18.00 (4.94)

31.12 (11.29)

24.64 (10.24)

21.32 (8.77)

18.48 (8.01)

 Foods, servings, mean (SD)

  Fruit

2.84 (2.07)

3.33 (2.48)

4.62 (3.53)

1.50 (1.00)

2.89 (1.51)

5.83 (3.75)

5.23 (3.50)

2.91 (1.70)

1.73 (1.24)

  Vegetables

3.52 (1.57)

4.71 (2.03)

7.84 (4.00)

2.11 (1.06)

3.84 (1.58)

6.97 (3.64)

5.26 (2.98)

4.77 (2.62)

4.07 (2.30)

 HEI-2015 score, mean (SD)

69.29 (9.15)

68.52 (9.16)

66.40 (9.18)

65.44 (9.81)

69.81 (8.88)

71.52 (8.35)

73.77 (7.65)

68.29 (7.84)

59.61 (8.71)

 Vitamin supplement use, %

61.63

61.92

61.15

56.69

62.08

64.65

65.19

62.14

55.72

 Prior or current postmenopausal hormone therapy, %

55.38

53.44

47.44

54.24

55.04

49.28

52.50

54.90

51.25

 Self-reported health (poor or fair), %

8.59

10.15

14.98

10.67

8.86

10.53

60.77

53.92

43.17