Table 2 Baseline characteristics of study subjects according to the duration of hormone therapy

Age (years)

62.96 ± 8.45

61.59 ± 7.37

62.70 ± 7.12

< 0.0001

63.62 ± 8.45

59.10 ± 6.87

59.35 ± 6.36

61.43 ± 60

< 0.0001

BMI (kg/m²)

24.21 ± 3.18

24.35 ± 3.08

24.61 ± 3.12

< 0.001

24.33 ± 3.22

24.00 ± 2.96

23.78 ± 2.86

23.85 ± 2.79

< 0.0001

Systolic BP (mmHg)

125.55 ± 15.98

125.06 ± 15.71

126.15 ± 15.62

< 0.0001

126.30 ± 16.04

122.65 ± 15.08

122.07 ± 15.01

122.77 ± 15.19

< 0.0001

Diastolic BP (mmHg)

76.82 ± 10.01

76.55 ± 9.99

76.82 ± 9.95

0.0019

77.14 ± 10.04

75.59 ± 9.80

75.20 ± 9.74

75.04 ± 9.68

< 0.0001

Fasting glucose (mg/dL)

100.52 ± 25.38

100.40 ± 24.65

101.41 ± 25.07

0.0002

101.29 ± 26.27

98.14 ± 20.76

97.26 ± 20.47

96.81 ± 20.59

< 0.0001

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

206.66 ± 46.53

205.79 ± 41.49

204.82 ± 45.48

< 0.0001

207.16 ± 46.96

205.86 ± 44.10

202.37 ± 38.71

198.73 ± 38.30

< 0.0001

HDL (mg/dL)

57.38 ± 36.31

56.87 ± 30.07

56.86 ± 31.51

0.0468

57.30 ± 36.50

57.68 ± 32.82

57.26 ± 28.92

56.09 ± 27.50

0.0059

LDL (mg/dL)

125.19 ± 80.79

124.31 ± 60.11

123.64 ± 64.17

0.0309

125.16 ± 74.84

125.18 ± 60.46

123.93 ± 113.57

122.51 ± 121.11

0.0105

Smoking status

0.208

< 0.0001

 Never

168,431 (96.08)

19,019 (95.44)

13,638 (94.93)

161,079 (96.15)

22,713 (95.30)

9334 (94.81)

7962 (95.00)

 Ex-smoker

1901 (1.08)

320 (1.61)

253 (1.76)

1773 (1.06)

371 (1.56)

177 (1.80)

153 (1.83)

 Current smoker

4962 (2.83)

588 (2.95)

476 (3.31)

4678 (2.79)

748 (3.14)

334 (3.39)

266 (3.17)

Alcohol consumption^a

< 0.0001

< 0.0001

 None

158,564 (90.46)

17,410 (87.37)

12,499 (87.00)

152,177 (90.84)

20,603 (86.45)

8447 (85.80)

7246 (86.46)

 Mild

15,998 (9.13)

2390 (11.99)

1759 (12.24)

14,633 (8.73)

3085 (12.94)

1337 (13.58)

1092 (13.03)

 Heavy

732 (0.42)

127 (0.64)

109 (0.76)

720 (0.43)

144 (0.60)

61 (0.62)

43 (0.51)

Levels of income

0.0034

< 0.0001

 Medical aid + 1st quartile (the lowest)

36,339 (20.73)

4079 (20.47)

2833 (19.72)

34,427 (20.55)

5190 (21.78)

2022 (20.54)

1612 (19.23)

 2nd quartile

30,713 (17.52)

3454 (17.33)

2435 (16.95)

29,337 (17.51)

4276 (17.94)

1697 (17.24)

1292 (15.42)

 3rd quartile

44,113 (25.17)

5060 (25.39)

3610 (25.13)

42,234 (25.21)

5957 (25.00)

2503 (25.42)

2089 (24.93)

 4th quartile (the highest)

64,129 (36.58)

7334 (36.80)

5489 (38.21)

61,532 (36.73)

8409 (35.28)

3623 (36.80)

3388 (40.42)

Regular exercise

30,862 (17.61)

4005 (20.10)

3028 (21.08)

< 0.0001

28,011 (16.72)

5330 (22.36)

2372 (24.09)

2182 (26.04)

< 0.0001

Hypertension

91,855 (52.40)

10,346 (51.92)

8262 (57.51)

< 0.0001

91,657 (54.71)

10,477 (43.96)

4322 (43.90)

4007 (47.81)

Diabetes mellitus

28,077 (16.02)

3155 (15.83)

2643 (18.40)

< 0.0001

28,809 (17.20)

2891 (12.13)

1121 (11.39)

1054 (12.58)

Dyslipidemia

69,087 (39.41)

8101 (40.65)

6126 (42.64)

< 0.0001

67,068 (40.03)

9434 (39.59)

3712 (37.70)

3100 (36.99)

Age at menarche (years)

16.57 ± 1.83

16.49 ± 1.83

16.56 ± 1.81

< 0.0001

16.63 ± 1.81

16.30 ± 1.86

16.25 ± 1.82

16.35 ± 1.84

Age at menopause (years)

49.83 ± 4.15

50.13 ± 4.15

50.24 ± 4.19

< 0.0001

49.88 ± 4.14

50.07 ± 4.00

50.04 ± 4.18

49.41 ± 4.78

Duration of fertility (years)

33.26 ± 4.54

33.65 ± 4.52

33.68 ± 4.54

< 0.0001

33.25 ± 4.55

33.78 ± 4.33

33.79 ± 4.43

33.06 ± 4.98

Duration of OC use (years)

< 0.0001

 Never

144,214 (86.08)

17,651 (74.06)

7295 (74.1)

6134 (73.19)

 < 1

13,738 (8.20)

3817 (16.02)

1301 (13.21)

1071 (12.78)

 ≥ 1

9578 (5.72)

2364 (9.92)

1249 (12.69)

1176 (14.03)

Duration of HRT (years)

< 0.0001

 Never

144,214 (82.27)

13,738 (68.94)

9578 (66.67)

 < 2

17,651 (10.07)

3817 (19.15)

2364 (16.45)

 2–5

7295 (4.16)

1301 (6.53)

1249 (8.69)

 ≥ 5

6134 (3.50)

1071 (5.37)

1176 (8.19)