Table 1 Baseline characteristics

Sex, n (%)

 Female

1 180,743 (53.5)

4 245 (47.9)

1 176 498 (53.6)

< 0.001

 Male

1 024 416 (46.5)

4 618 (52.1)

1 019 798 (46.4)

< 0.001

Age at entry, n (%)

< 0.001

 65–70 years

1 642 770 (74.5)

6 341 (71.5)

1 636 429 (74.5)

 70–75 years

199 574 (9.1)

1 068 (12.1)

198 506 (9.0)

 75–80 years

163 768 (7.4)

788 (8.9)

162 980 (7.4)

 80 + years

199 047 (9.0)

666 (7.5)

198 381 (9.0)

Civil status, n (%)

< 0.001

 Never married

793 230 (36.0)

3 317 (37.4)

789 913 (36.0)

 Married/cohabiting

1 135 534 (51.5)

4 337 (48.9)

1 131 197 (51.5)

 Widowed

276 395 (12.5)

1 209 (13.6)

275 186 (12.5)

Comorbidity conditions, n (%)

 Hypertension

844 824 (38.3)

4 674 (52.7)

840 150 (38.3)

< 0.001

 Dyslipidaemia

358 872 (16.3)

2 084 (23.5)

356 788 (16.2)

< 0.001

 Diabetes

159 876 (7.3)

945 (10.7)

158 931 (7.2)

< 0.001

 COPD

63 273 (2.9)

285 (3.2)

62 988 (2.9)

0.050

 Chronic kidney disease

11 786 (0.5)

101 (1.1)

11 685 (0.5)

< 0.001

 Cardiovascular comorbidity

262 296 (11.9)

2 046 (23.1)

260 250 (11.8)

< 0.001

Procedure, n (%)

 Carotid endarterectomy

2 026 (0.1)

84 (0.9)

1 942 (0.1)

< 0.001