Table 1

Baseline characteristics of participants according to the quintiles of dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio among participants of NIPPON DATA80 (National Integrated Project for Prospective Observation of Non-communicable Disease And its Trends in the Aged) aged 30–79 years without antihypertensive treatment

Q1Q2Q3Q4Q5p Value*p Trend†
Men
 Sodium-to-potassium ratio (mol/mol)1.30 (0.18)1.64 (0.07)1.90 (0.08)2.19 (0.10)2.81 (0.49)
  (Range)(0.55) (1.51)(1.51) (1.77)(1.77) (2.03)(2.04) (2.37)(2.37) (6.13)
 Number696736749752749
 Age (years)49.6 (12.5)48.4 (12.2)48.4 (12.1)48.4 (12.0)49.3 (12.7)0.1780.724
 Sodium intake (mmol/day)179.4 (56.0)221.9 (52.7)252.2 (68.1)285.2 (70.3)356.8 (109.8)<0.001<0.001
  (mg/day)4127 (1289)5103 (1211)5801 (1567)6559 (1617)8206 (2526)
 Potassium intake (mmol/day)81.4 (22.6)79.7 (18.6)78.3 (20.7)76.8 (18.7)75.1 (20.1)<0.001<0.001
  (mg/day)3174 (882)3109 (727)3054 (809)2996 (731)2928 (784)
 Protein intake (energy per cent)14.9 (2.3)15.0 (2.0)15.0 (2.1)15.1 (1.9)15.2 (2.2)<0.001<0.001
 Total fat intake (energy per cent)21.1 (5.1)20.6 (5.0)20.2 (5.2)20.2 (5.0)19.1 (5.5)<0.001<0.001
 Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)134.4 (18.6)135.0 (19.4)134.9 (19.3)136.5 (18.8)139.0 (20.8)<0.001<0.001
 Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)82.2 (11.7)82.1 (12.4)82.5 (11.7)82.9 (12.0)83.4 (11.7)0.1600.015
 Body mass index (kg/m2)22.5 (2.9)22.4 (2.8)22.6 (2.8)22.5 (2.8)25.1 (50.6)0.1000.049
 Serum cholesterol (mg/dL)190.3 (32.8)184.7 (31.6)188.0 (33.0)184.9 (32.9)181.5 (32.7)<0.001<0.001
 Serum creatinine (mg/dL)1.066 (0.389)1.050 (0.151)1.060 (0.290)1.038 (0.136)1.027 (0.182)0.0210.003
 Regular drinking (%)43.147.548.851.350.50.0410.010
 Current smoking (%)60.861.563.166.570.8<0.001<0.001
 Diabetes‡ (%)8.35.44.76.56.80.0490.049
 Hypertension§ (%)43.240.245.345.748.60.0200.004
Women
 Sodium-to-potassium ratio (mol/mol)1.22 (0.16)1.55 (0.07)1.80 (0.07)2.08 (0.09)2.65 (0.44)
  (Range)(0.59) (1.42)(1.42) (1.67)(1.67) (1.93)(1.93) (2.25)(2.25) (5.83)
 Number885916936932932
 Age (years)50.2 (12.0)48.7 (11.8)48.2 (12.1)47.9 (12.3)49.0 (12.9)0.0010.015
 Sodium intake (mmol/day)155.5 (44.7)190.9 (48.9)215.9 (59.6)247.2 (63.1)300.0 (91.7)<0.001<0.001
  (mg/day)3575 (1027)4392 (1124)4966 (1372)5685 (1452)6900 (2110)
 Potassium intake (mmol/day)75.2 (20.1)72.6 (18.2)70.9 (19.4)70.2 (17.9)67.1 (18.3)<0.001<0.001
  (mg/day)2933 (784)2833 (710)2764 (757)2739 (699)2617 (712)
 Protein intake (energy per cent)15.4 2.215.3 2.015.3 1.915.5 2.015.5 2.2<0.001<0.001
 Total fat intake (energy per cent)22.9 5.522.6 5.822.1 5.721.9 5.520.9 6.0<0.001<0.001
 Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)131.7 (20.2)130.9 (19.5)129.5 (19.1)129.7 (18.0)131.3 (19.0)0.0440.342
 Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)78.7 (11.4)78.6 (11.4)77.7 (11.0)78.1 (10.6)78.5 (11.2)0.1960.453
 Body mass index (kg/m2)22.6 (3.4)22.7 (3.3)22.6 (3.2)22.7 (3.3)22.7 (3.2)0.9320.572
 Serum cholesterol (mg/dL)195.5 (33.1)189.6 (34.1)188.8 (34.1)185.7 (32.0)184.9 (33.6)<0.001<0.001
 Serum creatinine (mg/dL)0.847 (0.241)0.833 (0.123)0.832 (0.121)0.825 (0.115)0.829 (0.122)0.0310.008
 Regular drinking (%)3.52.13.62.42.90.0630.152
 Current smoking (%)9.08.18.78.410.20.5350.545
 Diabetes‡ (%)4.33.83.52.94.50.3880.376
 Hypertension§ (%)35.633.131.332.334.70.2900.290
Men and women combined
 Sodium-to-potassium ratio (mol/mol)1.25 (0.17)1.59 (0.09)1.84 (0.09)2.13 (0.11)2.72 (0.47)
  (Range)(0.55) (1.51)(1.42) (1.77)(1.67) (2.03)(1.93) (2.37)(2.25) (6.13)
 Number15811652168516841681
 Age (years)49.9 (12.2)48.6 (12.0)48.3 (12.1)48.1 (12.2)49.1 (12.8)<0.0010.042
 Sodium intake (mmol/day)166.0 (51.3)204.7 (52.9)232.1 (66.1)264.2 (69.0)325.3 (104.1)<0.001<0.001
  (mg/day)3818 (1181)4709 (1216)5337 (1519)6076 (1588)7482 (2394)
 Potassium intake (mmol/day)77.9 (21.5)75.8 (18.7)74.2 (20.3)73.2 (18.6)70.7 (19.5)<0.001<0.001
  (mg/day)3039 (837)2956 (730)2893 (793)2854 (725)2755 (761)
 Protein intake (energy per cent)15.2 2.215.2 2.015.2 2.015.4 2.015.4 2.2<0.001<0.001
 Total fat intake (energy per cent)22.1 5.421.7 5.621.3 5.621.1 5.420.1 5.8<0.001<0.001
 Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg)132.9 (19.5)132.7 (19.5)131.9 (19.4)132.7 (18.7)134.8 (20.2)0.0010.012
 Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg)80.2 (11.6)80.2 (12.0)79.8 (11.5)80.2 (11.5)80.7 (11.7)0.2480.241
 Body mass index (kg/m2)22.6 (3.2)22.6 (3.1)22.6 (3.0)22.6 (3.0)23.8 (33.8)0.1000.042
 Serum cholesterol (mg/dL)193.3 (33.1)187.4 (33.1)188.4 (33.6)185.3 (32.4)183.4 (33.3)<0.001<0.001
 Serum creatinine (mg/dL)0.944 (0.333)0.930 (0.174)0.933 (0.241)0.920 (0.163)0.917 (0.181)0.0060.008
 Regular drinking (%)20.922.323.724.224.10.1110.011
 Current smoking (%)30.030.231.032.935.00.008<0.001
 Diabetes‡ (%)11.310.79.49.311.80.0570.852
 Hypertension§ (%)40.437.939.240.043.00.0460.057
  • Values are means (SD), numbers or percentages.

  • *p Values obtained by analysis of variance for continuous values and by χ2 test for categorical values.

  • †p Trend was obtained by trend analysis for continuous variables, and χ2 test for trend for categorical variables.

  • ‡History of diabetes and/or non-fasting blood glucose of 11.1 mmol/L or higher.

  • §Systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg.