Participants
stroke, myocardial infarction, dementia, physical disability
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK, STROKE, PHYSICAL DISABILITY, ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
People aged 70 years or older (≥65 years for US individuals who self-reported their race or ethnicity as African American or Hispanic) without a history of atrial fibrillation, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or myocardial infarction were included. Race and ethnicity were queried in separate questions and combined by ignoring race responses for those responding yes to Hispanic or Latino. Available responses for ethnicity were Hispanic or Latino vs not Hispanic or Latino. Available race categories were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; American Indian; Asian, Black or African American; Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, or Maori; White; more than 1 race; and unknown or not reported. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; American Indian; Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, or Maori; more than 1 race or ethnicity; and those who were not Hispanic but reported as other or not reported whose minority status could not be determined were combined as other owing to small population sizes. US members of racial or ethnic minority groups aged 65 to 70 years were included owing to their higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Other eligibility criteria included systolic blood pressure below 180 mm Hg at entry. All participants were free from dementia and physical disability at enrollment.