Table 1.
Characteristics of participants with MAFLD according to IFC improvement at baseline and after 2-year intervention.
| IFC Non-Responders | IFC Responders | p-Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline (n = 20) | 2-Year Change (n = 20) | Baseline (n = 20) | 2-Year Change (n = 20) | ||
| Anthropometry | |||||
| Weight (kg) | 91.5 ± 11.3 | 90.0 ± 11.6 | 94.2 ± 17.2 | 90.6 ± 15.2 * | 0.182 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 33.6 ± 3.97 | 32.9 ± 3.79 | 34.2 ± 4.62 | 32.7 ± 5.01 * | 0.637 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 113.3 ± 8.59 | 110.3 ± 9.13 * | 110.8 ± 9.38 | 106.9 ± 9.57 * | 0.628 |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | 134.2 ± 11.8 | 133.3 ± 11.8 | 137.2 ± 21.7 | 137.5 ± 22.8 | 0.858 |
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) | 78.5 ± 7.28 | 82.4 ± 7.15 * | 82.2 ± 9.18 | 84.6 ± 11.2 | 0.358 |
| Clinical parameters | |||||
| Glucose (mg/dL) | 122.3 ± 41.0 | 120.9 ± 37.8 | 107.1 ± 17.5 | 103.4 ± 22.2 | 0.603 |
| HbA1c (%) | 6.21 ± 1.01 | 6.14 ± 0.87 | 5.90 ± 0.68 | 5.82 ± 0.64 | 0.866 |
| Cholesterol total (mg/dL) | 204.1 ± 44.1 | 213.6 ± 53.7 | 212.6 ± 36.2 | 196.8 ± 43.4 *# | 0.002 |
| HDL-c (mg/dL) | 42.1 ± 4.82 | 43.3 ± 8.04 | 42.6 ± 7.54 | 44.7 ± 8.78 * | 0.442 |
| LDL-c (mg/dL) | 121.1 ± 35.5 | 123.5 ± 39.7 | 135.9 ± 36.5 | 125.8 ± 34.3 | 0.114 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 186.7 ± 78.3 | 187.5 ± 86.3 | 169.4 ± 57.4 | 154.6 ± 55.9 # | 0.349 |
| CRP (mg/dL) | 0.587 ± 0.754 | 0.511 ± 0.485 | 0.566 ± 0.504 | 0.491 ± 0.509 | 0.968 |
| AST (U/L) | 24.9 ± 16.5 | 26.9 ± 13.0 | 32.7 ± 23.5 | 23.8 ± 7.54 *# | 0.045 |
| ALT (U/L) | 35.1 ± 27.9 | 38.0 ± 24.8 | 41.7 ± 19.1 | 32.2 ± 11.6 *# | 0.026 |
| GGT (U/L) | 59.4 ± 59.6 | 59.1 ± 42.7 | 56.1 ± 85.6 | 32.6 ± 16.4 * | 0.346 |
| Serum ferritin (ng/mL) | 118.8 ± 106.4 | 118.3 ± 115.3 | 127.1 ± 131.2 | 70.1 ± 36.5 * | 0.095 |
| Uric acid (mg/dL) | 6.25 ± 1.73 | 6.33 ± 1.50 | 6.29 ± 0.96 | 5.82 ± 1.11 * | 0.082 |
| Haematological parameters | |||||
| Haematocrit (%) | 42.9 ± 3.4 | 42.7 ± 3.4 | 44.3 ± 4.2 | 43.6 ± 3.4 | 0.293 |
| Erythrocytes (106/μL) | 4.79 ± 0.25 | 4.73 ± 0.25 | 4.93 ± 0.40 | 4.81 ± 0.30 * | 0.163 |
| Leukocytes (103/μL) | 8.29 ± 1.56 | 7.96 ± 2.01 | 6.69 ± 1.66 # | 6.46 ± 1.26 # | 0.717 |
| Platelets (103/μL) | 248.8 ± 43.0 | 236.1 ± 43.2 | 236.1 ± 43.2 | 223.6 ± 46.4 | 0.729 |
| Neutrophils (103/μL) | 4.55 ± 1.04 | 4.27 ± 1.47 | 3.70 ± 1.17 # | 3.51 ± 0.96 | 0.714 |
| Lymphocytes (103/μL) | 2.73 ± 0.61 | 2.70 ± 0.62 | 2.19 ± 0.56 # | 2.24 ± 0.42 # | 0.299 |
| Monocytes (103/μL) | 0.755 ± 0.356 | 0.650 ± 0.257 * | 0.522 ± 0.143 | 0.485 ± 0.121 * | 0.418 |
| Eosinophils (103/μL) | 0.262 ± 0.135 | 0.274 ± 0.162 | 0.221 ± 0.176 | 0.166 ± 0.081 *# | 0.066 |
| Basophils (103/μL) | 0.063 ± 0.024 | 0.070 ± 0.026 | 0.055 ± 0.023 | 0.062 ± 0.027 | 0.617 |
| Lifestyle parameters | |||||
| Energy intake (kcal/day) | 2249 ± 759 | 1694 ± 535 * | 2336 ± 696 | 1767 ± 448 * | 0.775 |
| MedDiet (17-score) | 7.80 ± 3.04 | 11.8 ± 1.88 * | 8.70 ± 2.66 | 12.0 ± 3.07 * | 0.747 |
| Chester step test (VO2 max) | 30.2 ± 7.4 | 29.1 ± 9.2 | 33.8 ± 9.9 | 39.2 ± 13.5 *# | 0.073 |
Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; systolic BP: systolic blood pressure; diastolic BP: diastolic blood pressure; HbA1c: glycated haemoglobin A1c; HDL-c: high-density lipoprotein; LDL-c: low-density lipoprotein; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; GGT: gamma glutamyl transferase; CRP: c-reactive protein; MedDiet: Mediterranean diet; SD: standard deviation. Results are expressed as mean ± SD. Two-way analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) after adjustments by age and sex. * Difference in means between participants over time (baseline and 2 years). # Difference in means between groups (IFC responders and IFC non-responders). Data points are significant when p < 0.05.