We measured age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, C reactive protein, fibrinogen, glucose, smoking, and coronary heart disease and diabetes status at baseline. Weight was measured in underwear to the nearest 0.1 kg on Soehnle electronic scales. We measured height in bare feet to the nearest 1 mm by using a stadiometer with the participant standing erect with head in the Frankfort plane. We calculated body mass index as weight (kilograms)/height (metres) squared. We measured waist circumference, taken as the smallest circumference at or below the costal margin, with participants unclothed in the standing position by using a fibreglass tape measure at 600 g tension. We measured systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure twice in the sitting position after five minutes’ rest with the Hawksley random zero sphygmomanometer. We took the average of the two readings to be the measured blood pressure. We took venous blood in the fasting state or at least five hours after a light, fat free breakfast, before a two hour 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was done. Serum for
