Table 1 Basic characteristics and plasma copper concentrations of the study participants

Age, years

65.2 ± 6.3

59.3 ± 10.0

59.3 ± 11.4

54.5 ± 13.2

41.4 ± 10.2

Male, n (%)

355 (52.1)

74 (82.2)

78 (79.6)

182 (79.1)

106 (74.1)

Smoking status, n (%)

 Current smoker

160 (23.5)

33 (36.7)

41 (41.8)

95 (41.3)

45 (31.5)

 Former smoker

85 (12.5)

23 (25.6)

13 (13.3)

23 (10.0)

2 (1.4)

 Never smoker

437 (64.1)

34 (37.8)

44 (44.9)

112 (48.7)

96 (67.1)

Drinking status, n (%)

 Current drinker

164 (24.0)

21 (23.3)

20 (20.4)

65 (28.3)

54 (37.8)

 Former drinker

30 (4.4)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

5 (2.2)

1 (0.7)

 Never drinker

488 (71.6)

69 (76.7)

78 (79.6)

160 (69.6)

88 (61.5)

BMI, kg/m²

24.9 ± 3.2

24.8 ± 2.8

23.0 ± 2.4

23.2 ± 2.6

24.2 ± 2.7

Systolic blood pressure, mmHg

128.9 ± 17.1

129.9 ± 20.5

134.5 ± 25.3

129.1 ± 16.7

130.7 ± 18.1

Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg

75.4 ± 10.3

81.2 ± 13.4

79.1 ± 13.8

76.9 ± 9.8

80.2 ± 12.1

Fasting glucose, mmol/L

6.1 ± 1.6

5.3 ± 0.8

6.9 ± 1.7

4.7 ± 1.3

5.5 ± 0.7

Triglyceride, mmol/L

1.5 ± 1.0

1.7 ± 1.1

1.5 ± 1.0

1.4 ± 1.0

1.4 ± 1.0

Total cholesterol, mmol/L

5.3 ± 0.9

3.9 ± 1.0

4.9 ± 1.2

5.1 ± 1.1

4.9 ± 0.8

HDL-C, mmol/L

1.4 ± 0.3

1.1 ± 0.3

1.2 ± 0.2

1.5 ± 0.4

1.4 ± 0.3

LDL-C, mmol/L

3.1 ± 0.8

2.1 ± 0.8

3.1 ± 0.9

3.0 ± 1.0

2.9 ± 0.7

Major leukocyte compositions

 Basophil proportion, %

1.3 ± 0.4

–

–

–

1.3 ± 1.2

 Eosinophil proportion, %

2.2 ± 1.6

–

–

–

2.1 ± 1.6

 Monocyte proportion, %

7.3 ± 1.7

–

–

–

4.9 ± 2.7

 Lymphocyte proportion, %

32.8 ± 8.6

28.3 ± 9.9

19.5 ± 11.9

38.0 ± 8.2

33.6 ± 7.5

 Neutrophil proportion, %

57.0 ± 9.0

62.6 ± 10.4

72.3 ± 13.4

55.3 ± 8.4

58.0 ± 8.2

 Intermediate cells proportion^b, %

10.7 ± 10.7

9.1 ± 3.1

8.2 ± 4.0

6.8 ± 3.7

8.3 ± 2.7

 C-reactive protein, mg/L

2.5 ± 4.3

–

–

1.6 ± 3.7

0.8 ± 1.3

 Plasma copper (μg/L)

951.5 ± 178.6

812.0 ± 183.5

897.7 ± 495.5

899.7 ± 194.3

782.5 ± 141.7