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Table 1 Participant characteristics

From: The associations of hostility and defensiveness with telomere length are influenced by sex and health status

 

CAD

Non-CVD

CAD and non-CVD combined

Healthy

 

n = 598

n = 438

n = 1036

n = 25

Demographic variables, n (%) or M (± SD); (range)

 Age (years)**

66.13 (± 6.25); [40–71, 73–77]

64.41 (± 7.23); [35–71, 73–77]

65.40 (± 6.73); [35–71, 73–77]

55.68 (± 0.19); [34–70]

 Sex, n (%) **

  Men

482 (80.60)

193 (44.10)

675 (65.20)

14 (56)

 Caucasian, n (%)

593 (99.20)

428 (97.77)

1 021 (98.60)

24 (96)

 Years of schooling**

13.95 (3.76)

14.86 (3.58)

14.33 (3.71)

15.56 (3.66)

 Currently employed, n (%)**

135 (22.60)

141 (32.20)

276 (26.60)

14 (56)

 Civil status, n (%)

  Married/living with someone

427 (71.40)

326 (74.50)

753 (72.70)

21 (84)

  Single

48 (8)

47 (10.70)

95 (9.20)

2 (8)

  Divorced, separated, or widowed

123 (20.60)

65 (14.88)

188 (18.20)

2 (8)

 Annual family income, n (%)

  ≤ $29,999

86 (14.40)

27 (6.20)

113 (10.90)

2 (8)

  $30,000–59,99

206 (34.40)

154 (35.20)

360 (34.70)

3 (12)

  ≥ $60,000**

306 (51.17)

258 (58.90)

564 (54.33)

20 (80)

Behavioural variables, n (%) or M (± SD)

 Smoker, n (%)**

81 (13.50)

25 (5.70)

106 (10.20)

2 (8)

 Hours of exercise/week, M (± SD)

2.85 (± 3.29)

3.31 (± 3.39)

3.04 (± 3.34)

3.07 (± 3.38)

 Glasses of alcohol/week, M (± SD)

6.47 (± 8.14)

5.70 (± 6.57)

6.12 (± 7.51)

4.96 (± 5.01)

Physiological variables, M (± SD)

 Telomere length (T/S ratio)***

0.83 (± 0.18); [0.44–1.5]

0.89 (±  0.19); [0.48–1.68]

0.86 (±  0.19); [0.44–1.68]

0.94 (± 0.15); [0.72-1.26]

 Body mass index (kg/m2)**

29.80 (± 5.11)

28.59 (± 4.99)

29.28 (± 5.10)

27.15 (± 2.83)

 Waist circumference (cm)**

102.96 (± 13.47)

96.42 (± 13.78)

100.18 (± 13.98)

90.64 (± 10.91)

 Mean arterial pressure (mmHg)**

89.88 (± 13.85)

95.90 (± 14.54)

92.36 (± 14.41)

97.42 (± 14.38)

 Glucose (mmol/L)**

6.46 (± 1.53)

5.89 (± .97)

6.22 (± 1.36)

5.64 (± 1.03)

 Triglycerides (mmol/L)**

1.69 (± 0.80)

1.62 (± 0.84)

1.67 (± 0.82)

1.49 (± 0.89)

 C-Reactive protein (mg/L)

2.65 (± 6.83)

2.78 (± 6.78)

2.71 (± 6.78)

2.82 (± 5.60)

Psychological variables, M (± SD)

 Hostility*

14.39 (± 6.07)

13.27 (± 6.05)

13.91 (± 6.07)

11.72 (± 6.84)

 Defensiveness

9.35 (± 2.73)

9.33 (± 2.77)

9.34 (± 2.74)

9.08 (± 2.64)

Medical history and medication, n (%)

 Myocardial infarction

387 (64.70)

-

-

-

 Coronary artery bypass

211 (35.30)

-

-

-

 Angioplasty

421 (70.40)

-

-

-

 Arrhythmia

146 (24.40)

-

-

 

 Diabetes**

147 (24.60)

45(10.30)

192 (18.50)

-

 Hypercholesterolemia **

583 (97.50)

262 (59.80)

845 (81.60)

-

 Hypertension**

414 (69.20)

183 (41.80)

597 (57.61)

-

 Other chronic diseases*

313 (52.34)

284 (64.55)

597 (57.51)

-

 Family history of CVD**

421 (70.40)

256 (57.50)

677 (65.40)

14 (56)

 Skin cancer

23 (3.80)

20 (4.60)

43 (4.20)

-

 Antidepressants**

61 (10.20)

32 (7.30)

94 (9.06)

2 (8)

 Prescribed cardiovascular agents**

573 (95.82)

281 (65.20)

855 (82.37)

-

  1. CAD coronary artery disease patients, non-CVD participants with non-cardiovascular illness
  2. Hostility = 39-item Cook–Medley Hostility Inventory; defensiveness = 14-item Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale; currently employed = includes part-time and full-time workers; other chronic diseases include osteoarthritis, autoimmune disorders, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome; prescribed cardiovascular agents = statins, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and other agents
  3. ***p < .001, **p < .01, *p < .05, ~ p = .07 difference between CAD and non-CVD illness group
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Biology of Sex Differences

ISSN: 2042-6410

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