Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population

Age, years

65.0 (9.95)

65.7 (10.2)

0.005

Waist circumference, cm

98.83 (10.56)

89.21 (11.58)

< 0.001

BMI, Kg/m²

27.49 (3.64)

27.61 (4.65)

0.216

Total cholesterol, mg/dl

206.6 (38.6)

224.7 (39.0)

< 0.001

HDL, mg/dl

49.4 (13.1)

61.0 (16.2)

< 0.001

Diabetes, N(%)

422 (13.4)

427 (9.70)

< 0.001

CHD, N(%)

342 (10.9)

116 (2.70)

< 0.001

Hypertension, N(%)

2130 (67.8)

2859 (65.2)

0.021

Heart rate, beats/m

66.3 (10.5)

68.6 (9.63)

< 0.001

Cardiac medication, N(%)

174 (5.5)

198 (4.5)

0.050

Lipid lowering medication, N(%)

572 (26.1)

613 (20.6)

< 0.001

Smoking, N(%)

< 0.001

 Current

736 (23.6)

777 (17.9)

–

 Former

1837 (58.8)

1839 (42.3)

–

 Never

552 (17.7)

1734 (39.9)

–

LVEF, %

64.29 (8.33)

66.28 (6.93)

< 0.001

LVEDD, mm

53.60 (4.90)

49.64 (4.51)

< 0.001

E/A ratio

0.97 (0.28)

0.94 (0.33)

0.001

LA diameter, mm

17.2 (7.78)

16.9 (6.68)

0.357

E/e’ ratio

9.48 (3.14)

10.5 (3.60)

< 0.001

LVM index, g/m²

52.4 (27.2)

55.7 (26.7)

< 0.001

RMSSDc, ms

24.77 (29.4)

32.30 (33.3)

< 0.001

SDNNc, ms

21.91 (25.4)

25.53 (25.8)

< 0.001

RR interval, ms

928.1 (145.2)

891.6 (125.3)

< 0.001