Table 1 Baseline Characteristics of All and Age subgroups

Number of patients, n

747

727

1474

Age, y

60.2 ± 3.4

70.8 ± 3.9

0.000

65.4 ± 6.5

Male, %

68.8%

72.8%

0.036

70.8%

 MI

34.0%

35.2%

0.636

34.6%

 Stable angina

19.6%

22.1%

0.095

20.8%

 Unstable angina

10.7%

13.2%

0.128

11.9%

 CABG

2.0%

2.8%

0.674

2.4%

 PTCA/PCI

19.5%

22.7%

0.078

21.1%

 Stroke/TIA

53.0%

49.5%

0.336

51.3%

 Carotid endarterectomy

0

0

0

 Peripheral artery surgery

0.3%

0.7%

0.501

0.5%

 Intermittent claudication

2.1%

2.6%

0.915

2.4%

 Hypertension

74.4%

75.5%

0.944

75.0%

 DM

32.8%

35.8%

0.373

34.3%

 Current Smoking

15.1%

15.1%

0.741

15.1%

 Former smoking

32.0%

33.6%

0.842

32.8%

 ACE inhibitors

37.5%

34.7%

0.043

36.1%

 Angiotensin II blockers

3.1%

4.4%

0.072

3.7%

 β-blockers

37.9%

40.6%

0.271

39.2%

 Diuretics

14.2%

19.3%

0.012

16.7%

 Nitrates

43.8%

43.9%

0.897

43.8%

 Diltiazem/verapamil

9.6%

8.9%

0.933

9.3%

 Other calcium-channel blockers

46.3%

45.1%

0.313

45.7%

 ASA

65.3%

74.8%

0.002

70.0%

 Ticlopidine

2.3%

2.2%

0.766

2.2%

 Clopidogrel

2.5%

4.1%

0.037

3.3%

 Oral anticoagulants

4.0%

5.8%

0.114

4.9%

 statins

26.1%

26.0%

0.812

26.1%

 Insulin

6.3%

7.0%

0.829

6.6%

 Oral hypoglycemic

24.6%

25.7%

0.617

25.2%

 Estrogen(in females)

1.3%

1.5%

0.788

1.4%

 Estrogen+progesterone(in females)

0

0.5%

0.282

0.2%

 Heart rate (beats/min)

73

73

0.085

73

 BP at run-in(mmHg)

140/80

141/80

0.261/0.761

141/80

 BP at randomization(mmHg)

133/77

133/76

0.948/0.341

133/76

 BMI

25.9

24.7

0.016

25.4

 Waist-hip ratio

0.9

1.0

0.444

0.9

 Creatinine(μmol/L)

87.7

93.5

0.000

90.5

 Potassium(mmol/L)

4.4

4.3

0.226

4.4

 Total cholesterol(mmol/L)

5.3

5.1

0.044

5.2

 HDL-cholesterol(mmol/L)

1.3

1.3

0.989

1.3

 LDL-cholesterol(mmol/L)

2.8

2.8

0.949

2.8

 Triglycerides(mmol/L)

1.8

1.7

0.067

1.8