Table 1 Characteristics of study population [n,%]

n

721

46.8

818

53.2

Age (mean, SD)

55.8

12.1

55.0

11.7

0.182

Education years (mean, SD)

11.2

2.9

11.4

2.7

0.169

Leisure-time PA level

<0.001

   Inactive

143

19.8

123

15.0

   Low/moderate

451

62.6

602

73.6

   High

127

17.6

93

11.4

Cardiovascular Disease

87

12.1

52

6.4

<0.001

Vascular risk factors

   Standard alcohol drinks per week (mean, SD)

10.8

14.2

3.8

5.8

<0.001

Current smoker

126

17.5

108

13.4

Ex-smoker

274

38.1

215

26.7

Non-smoker

319

44.4

483

59.9

   BMI (≥30 kg/m²)

202

30.3

255

35.0

0.062

   LDL-cholesterol (>2.5 mmol/L or on lipid lowering medication)

592

89.8

618

84.8

0.005

   Metabolic Syndrome (IDF)

250

39.0

232

33.0

0.022

   Waist circumference (≤102 cm for males and ≤88 cm for females)

453

68.3

529

72.6

0.083

   Hypertension (≥130/85 or on antihypertensive medication)

439

64.4

434

57.1

0.005

   Fasting plasma glucose (≥5.6 mmol/L or on an antidiabetic medication)

215

33.3

144

20.4

<0.001

   HDL-cholesterol (males <1.03 mmol/L; females <1.30 mmol/L)

154

23.6

126

17.9

0.009

   Triglycerides (≥1.7 mmol/L)

224

35.5

200

29.0

0.012