Table 3 Baseline characteristics and descriptive statistics of the study sample (N = 351); mean (standard deviation) or count (percent) is shown
|  | Full cohort (n = 351) | Baseline somatosensory function | |
|---|---|---|---|
Intact (n = 292) | Impaired (n = 59) | ||
Age, years | 78 (5) | 77 (5) | 81 (5) |
Female | 230 (66%) | 203 (70%) | 27 (46%) |
White | 283 (81%) | 230 (79%) | 53 (90%) |
Education | |||
 Less than high school | 19 (5%) | 15 (5%) | 4 (7%) |
 High school | 68 (19%) | 53 (18%) | 15 (25%) |
 Some college/college | 136 (39%) | 119 (41%) | 17 (29%) |
 Graduate/professional education | 127 (36%) | 104 (36%) | 23 (39%) |
Body mass index, kg/m2 | 27.2 (4.9) | 27.0 (4.9) | 27.9 (5.0) |
Current smoker | 11 (3%) | 10 (3%) | 1 (2%) |
Daily alcohol use (percent yes) | 34 (10%) | 28 (10%) | 6 (10%) |
Comorbidity counta | 2.4 (1.5) | 2.4 (1.5) | 2.7 (1.5) |
CES-D score | 9.9 (10.2) | 9.8 (10.0) | 10.3 (11.0) |
Medication use | |||
 Antihypertensive medication | 237 (68%) | 194 (66%) | 43 (73%) |
 Antidepressants | 35 (10%) | 29 (10%) | 6 (10%) |
 Anti-seizure medications | 12 (3%) | 10 (3%) | 2 (4%) |
 Statins | 160 (46%) | 131 (45%) | 29 (49%) |
 Anxiolytics | 42 (12%) | 33 (11%) | 9 (15%) |
 Antihistamines | 35 (10%) | 29 (10%) | 6 (10%) |
 Opioids | 14 (4%) | 10 (3%) | 4 (7%) |
 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | 65 (19%) | 51 (18%) | 14 (24%) |
 Analgesics/antipyretics | 82 (24%) | 71 (25%) | 11 (19%) |
Cognitive function | |||
 Mini-Mental State Examination | 27.7 (2.3) | 27.8 (2.3) | 27.5 (2.3) |
 Trail Making Test, seconds | |||
  Part A | 52 (33) | 51 (33) | 56 (33) |
  Part B | 123 (68) | 120 (66) | 140 (72) |
  Part B less A | 74 (55) | 72 (55) | 84 (55) |
Medical conditions (self-report) | |||
 Stroke | 32 (9%) | 26 (9%) | 6 (10%) |
 Diabetes mellitus | 47 (13%) | 33 (11%) | 14 (24%) |
 Hyperlipidemia | 179 (51%) | 148 (51%) | 31 (53%) |
 Hypertension | 259 (75%) | 214 (74%) | 45 (78%) |
 Peripheral artery disease | 29 (8%) | 22 (8%) | 7 (12%) |
 History of back pain or spinal stenosis | 138 (39%) | 116 (40%) | 22 (37%) |
 History of falls | 129 (37%) | 106 (36%) | 23 (40%) |
 Parkinson’s disease | 6 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 1 (2%) |
 Peripheral neuropathy | 69 (21%) | 35 (13%) | 34 (63%) |
 Cancer, excluding skin cancer | 81 (23%) | 63 (22%) | 18 (31%) |
Physical function | |||
 Uses walking aid | 36 (10%) | 24 (8%) | 12 (20%) |
 Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly | 111 (69) | 114 (70) | 97 (61) |
 Short Physical Performance Battery | 9.8 (2.2) | 10.0 (2.0) | 8.6 (2.8) |
 Gait speed at baseline, m/s | 1.00 (0.25) | 1.02 (0.24) | 0.92 (0.29) |
 Falls during first year of follow-up | 1.1 (1.7) | 1.1 (1.8) | 1.0 (1.4) |
 Berg Balance score | 51 (5) | 52 (5) | 48 (8) |