Table 1 Cohort characteristics according to adherence to the Mediterranean diet at baseline of the EPIC-Norfolk Study (n = 23,902)

Age (years)

59.4 (9.4)

58.2 (9.0)^c

58.8 (9.4)

58.6 (9.1)

59.2 (9.3)

58.4 (9.1)^c

59.1 (9.3)

58.7 (9.1)^c

Sex, men (%)

56

32^c

58

32^c

44

45

46

42^c

 School until age 16 years

10

11

10

10

11

11

10

10

 School until age 18 years

38

42

40

42

38

43

38

43

 Bachelor’s degree or above

8

19^c

10

16^c

10

17^c

10

17^c

Marital status, married (%)

84

79^c

83

80^c

80

83

81

82

 Current

16

8

17

8

16

7

15

8

 Former

42

41^c

42

41^c

38

45^c

38

45^c

 Moderately inactive

26

31

27

30

28

29

28

30

 Moderately active

23

24

23

24

22

24

22

24

 Active

19

19^c

19

19^c

17

22^c

17

20^c

 Unskilled worker

6

3

5

4

6

3

6

3

 Skilled worker

63

52

60

54

61

53

61

51

 Manager or equivalent

28

39

30

38

29

38

28

39

 Professional

4

5^c

4

5^c

4

5^c

4

5^c

Family history of diabetes (%)

13

13

13

13

13

14

13

13

Family history of MI (%)

34

39^c

34

38^c

34

39^c

35

38^c

Family history of stroke (%)

24

25

24

25

24

24

24

24

 Spring

27

27

26

28

26

27

27

27

 Summer

24

26

24

26

25

26

25

25

 Autumn

25

25^b

26

25

25

25

25

25

Prevalent diabetes (%)

3

3

2

4^c

3

3^b

2

3^c

Use of anti-hypertensive drug (%)

16

16

15

17^c

16

17

16

17^b

Use of lipid-lowering drug (%)

1

1^c

1

2^c

1

2^c

1

2^c

Use of HRT among women (%)

31

43^c

29

43^c

38

35^c

37

37^c

Body mass index, kg/m²

26.4 (3.8)

26.1 (3.9)

26.3 (3.7)

26.2 (4.0)

26.3 (4.0)

26.3 (3.8)

26.2 (3.9)

26.2 (3.9)

Waist circumference, cm

90 (12)

86 (12)^c

90 (12)

86 (12)^c

88 (12)

88 (12)^c

88 (12)

87 (13)^c

Systolic BP, mmHg

137 (18)

133 (18)^c

136 (18)

134 (19)^c

136 (18)

135 (18)^c

136 (18)

135 (19)^c

Diastolic BP, mmHg

83 (11)

81 (11)^c

83 (11)

82 (11)^c

83 (11)

82 (11)^c

83 (11)

82 (11)^c

Total cholesterol, mmol/L

6.2 (1.2)

6.2 (1.2)

6.2 (1.2)

6.2 (1.2)

6.2 (1.2)

6.1 (1.1)^c

6.2 (1.2)

6.2 (1.2)

HDL cholesterol, mmol/L

1.4 (0.4)

1.5 (0.5)^c

1.4 (0.4)

1.5 (0.4)^c

1.4 (0.4)

1.5 (0.5)^c

1.4 (0.4)

1.5 (0.5)^c

LDL cholesterol, mmol/L

4.0 (1.0)

3.9 (1.1)^c

4.0 (1.0)

3.9 (1.1)

4.0 (1.0)

3.9 (1.0)^c

4.0 (1.0)

3.9 (1.0)^b

Triglycerides, mmol/L

1.9 (1.2)

1.7 (1.0)^c

1.9 (1.1)

1.7 (1.0)^c

1.8 (1.1)

1.8 (1.1)^c

1.9 (1.1)

1.7 (1.1)^c

QRISK2 score, %^d

19.4 (13.3)

16.5 (12.4)^c

18.7 (13.1)

17.3 (12.7)^c

18.8 (13.3)

17.3 (12.7)^c

18.6 (13.1)

17.6 (12.9)^c