Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the participants according to sex specific quartiles of starch intake (n = 21,268)

Starch intake (g/day)

112.9 ± 35.2

127.3 ± 36.8

138.4 ± 41.5

156 ± 50.8

< 0.001

Starch intake (E%)

19.2 ± 1.9

22.8 ± 1.0

25.4 ± 1.1

29.5 ± 2.8

< 0.001

Age (years)

58.3 ± 7.5

58.1 ± 7.6

57.4 ± 7.7

57.2 ± 7.5

< 0.001

Sex (men, %)

38.5

38.5

38.5

38.5

1.00

BMI (kg/m²)

25.5 ± 4

25.7 ± 3.8

25.5 ± 3.9

25.2 ± 3.7

0.7200

SBP (mmHg)

141 ± 19.6

141 ± 19.5

140.3 ± 20

140.1 ± 19.9

0.08

DBP (mmHg)

85.9 ± 9.8

85.6 ± 9.9

85.3 ± 9.9

85.2 ± 10

0.00

Total energy intake (kcal/day)

2422.8 ± 700.9

2304.5 ± 622.7

2253.4 ± 623.3

2185.7 ± 622.7

< 0.001

LTPA (> 25 MET-hour/week, %)

51.9

53.2

53.57

53.08

0.19

Zero-consumers of alcohol (%)

6.56

4.95

4.48

5.57

0.01

University degree (%)

14.5

14.2

15.0

14.7

0.49

Smoking status (%)

 Smoker

37.9

27.8

24.9

22.4

< 0.001

 Ex-smoker

29.4

32.9

34.6

35.4

< 0.001

 Non-smoker

32.7

39.4

40.5

42.2

< 0.001

Hypertension (%)

61.0

60.7

59.1

58.8

< 0.01

Heredity score (> 0, %)

 Cancer

47.2

47.6

45.8

45.7

0.04

 Myocardial infarction

36.6

38.0

37.8

39.3

0.01

 Stroke

27.5

26.2

26.7

25.9

0.12

 Diabetes

1.69

1.66

2.14

2.20

0.02

Diet quality index

1.6 ± 1.2

1.8 ± 1.3

1.9 ± 1.3

2.3 ± 1.3

< 0.001

Carbohydrate (E%)

41.2 ± 5.9

43.9 ± 5

45.8 ± 4.8

49.0 ± 5.2

< 0.001

Protein (E%)

15.6 ± 2.9

15.7 ± 2.4

15.8 ± 2.4

15.8 ± 2.3

< 0.001

Fat (E%)

43.2 ± 5.9

40.4 ± 5.1

38.3 ± 4.8

35.2 ± 5.1

< 0.001

Potato (g/day)

111.3 ± 64.5

120.2 ± 66.7

127.9 ± 75.7

133.8 ± 85.7

< 0.001

Bread (g/day)

88.6 ± 48.1

104.8 ± 55.7

117.5 ± 64.6

148.3 ± 91.5

< .0001