Baseline characteristics
| Variables | |
| Number of athletes, n (%) | 798 |
| Male | 500 (62.7) |
| Female | 298 (37.3) |
| Age, years (SD) | 54.6 (9.5) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | |
| Caucasian | 700 (87.7) |
| Asian/Asian Caucasian | 46 (5.8) |
| South Asian | 5 (0.6) |
| Aboriginal/Aboriginal Caucasian | 5 (0.6) |
| African/African Caucasian | 5 (0.6) |
| Other | 13 (1.6) |
| No response | 24 (3.0) |
| Height, cm (SD) | 173.2 (9.6) |
| Weight, kg (SD) | 75.0 (14.4) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 (SD) | 24.8 (3.4) |
| Waist circumference, cm (SD) | 86.6 (10.4) |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg (SD) | 123.5 (15.3) |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg (SD) | 76.0 (8.3) |
| Resting heart rate, bpm (SD) | 57.9 (9.4) |
| Marital status, n (%) | |
| Married/common law | 655 (82.1) |
| Separated/Divorced | 76 (9.5) |
| Single | 50 (6.3) |
| Widowed | 10 (1.3) |
| No response | 7 (0.9) |
| Educational level, n (%) | |
| Did not complete high school | 10 (1.2) |
| Completed high school | 49 (6.1) |
| Vocational/college/undergraduate | 427 (53.5) |
| Graduate/professional degree | 307 (38.5) |
| No response | 5 (0.6) |
| Average income, n (%) | |
| ≤$20 000 | 37 (4.6) |
| $20 001–$40 000 | 57 (7.1) |
| $40 001–$75 000 | 219 (27.0) |
| >$75 000 | 445 (55.8) |
| No response | 40 (5.0) |
| Level of competition, n (%) | |
| Recreational | 535 (67.0) |
| Competitive | 185 (23.2) |
| Elite (professional, provincial, national) | 78 (9.8) |
| Weekly training hours, mean (SD) | 10.9±6.4 |
| Weekly training volume, MET-hour/week, mean (SD) | 80.8±44.0 |
| Years physically active, mean (SD) | 35.1±14.8 |
| Known cardiovascular risk factors | |
| Medication use | |
| Antihypertensive | 61 (7.7) |
| Lipid-lowering | 18 (2.3) |
| Diabetic | 8 (1.0) |
| Current smokers/quit ≤2 years ago | 8 (1.0) |
| Former smoker | 199 (24.9) |
| Obesity | 65 (8.1) |
| Previous atrial fibrillation/flutter | 23 (2.8) |
| Ablation/cardioversion | 17 (2.1) |
| Previous cardiac examination in ≤18 months | 118 (14.8) |
| ECG only | 61 (7.6) |
| Lifestyle | |
| ≤3 servings of fruits/vegetables per day (n=791) | 365 (45.7) |
| ≥3 servings per week of red meat (n=795) | 191 (24.0) |
| ≥7 sedentary hours per day (n=697) | 281 (40.3) |
| Alcohol consumption (drinks/week) | |
| Abstainer/former drinker | 85 (10.6) |
| Less than 7 | 435 (58.8) |
| ≥7 to 14 | 179 (22.3) |
| ≥14 to 21 | 40 (5.0) |
| ≥21 | 13 (1.6) |
| Heavy drinkers | 154 (19.3) |
| No response | 3 (0.4) |
| Depression | |
| Depressed mood | 88 (11.0) |
| Depressed | 25 (3.1) |
| No response | 67 (8.4) |
Heavy drinker was defined as (≥5 drinks on one occasion, at least once a month).33 Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥30.33 Depressed mood (adapted from the short form DSM-IV CIDI questionnaire for depression) was defined as feeling sad/blue for >2 weeks. Depression was defined by a positive response to having felt sad, blue or depressed for 2 weeks or more in a row and a positive response to five of the seven additional questions.
bpm, beats per minute; DSM-IV CIDI, diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th edition) compositive international diagnostic interview; MET-hour/week, metabolic equivalent task hours per week.