Table 1 Baseline cohort characteristics

n (%)

171,544 (100)

52,377 (30.5)

88,326 (51.5)

30,841 (18.0)

Baseline age (years), mean (SD)

56.1 (8.0)

56.9 (7.7)

56.0 (8.0)

55.0 (8.2)

Sex, n (%)

 Women

93,963 (54.8)

34,038 (65.0)

46,256 (52.4)

13,669 (44.3)

 Men

77,581 (45.2)

18,339 (35.0)

42,070 (47.6)

17,172 (55.7)

Deprivation index, mean (SD)

 − 1.59 (2.86)

 − 1.68 (2.81)

 − 1.64 (2.83)

 − 1.29 (2.99)

Ethnicity, n (%)

 White

164,257 (95.8)

50,057 (95.6)

84,830 (96.0)

29,370 (95.2)

 Others

7287 (4.2)

2320 (4.4)

3496 (4.0)

1471 (4.8)

Smoking status, n (%)

 Never

97,340 (56.7)

30,482 (58.2)

50,434 (57.1)

16,424 (53.3)

 Previous

61,002 (35.6)

19,157 (36.6)

31,325 (35.5)

10,520 (34.1)

 Current

13,202 (7.7)

2738 (5.2)

6567 (7.4)

3897 (12.6)

Type of physical activity

 Walking for pleasure (not as a means of transport)

127,962 (74.6)

41,321 (78.9)

65,916 (74.6)

20,725 (67.2)

 Other exercises (e.g. swimming, cycling, keep fit, bowling)

21,411 (12.5)

6067 (11.6)

11,191 (12.7)

4153 (13.5)

 Strenuous sports

1367 (0.8)

319 (0.6)

727 (0.8)

321 (1.0)

 Light DIY (e.g. pruning, watering the lawn)

10,148 (5.9)

2313 (4.4)

5234 (5.9)

2601 (8.4)

 Heavy DIY (e.g. weeding, lawn mowing, carpentry, digging)

3282 (1.9)

747 (1.4)

1656 (1.9)

879 (2.8)

 None of the above

7315 (4.3)

1595 (3.0)

3576 (4.0)

2144 (7.0)

 Prefer not to answer

59 (< 0.1)

15 (< 0.1)

26 (< 0.1)

18 (< 0.1)

Inflammatory diseases (yes), n (%)

21,373 (12.5)

6436 (12.3)

10,899 (12.3)

4038 (13.1)

Hyperglycaemia/diabetes (yes), n (%)

24,556 (14.3)

7441 (14.2)

12,675 (14.3)

4440 (14.4)

Low HDL (yes), n (%)

30,446 (17.8)

8981 (17.2)

15,115 (17.1)

6350 (20.6)

High triglycerides (yes), n (%)

64,154 (37.4)

17,629 (33.7)

33,430 (37.8)

13,095 (42.5)

Central obesity (yes), n (%)

51,353 (29.9)

14,359 (27.4)

26,220 (29.7)

10,774 (34.9)

High blood pressure/hypertension (yes), n (%)

116,420 (67.9)

35,313 (67.4)

60,046 (68.0)

21,061 (68.3)