Table 1.
Characteristics of subjects stratified according to quartiles of serum amylase
| Total | Q1 (highest) | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 (lowest) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 1475 | 369 | 371 | 381 | 354 | |
| Age (years) | 55.1±12.2 | 58.4±11.8 | 56.4±12.2 | 52.9±11.7 | 52.7±12.0 | <0.0001 |
| Men, n (%) | 747 (50.6) | 178 (48.2) | 176 (47.4) | 205 (53.8) | 188 (53.1) | 0.19 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.0±3.2 | 21.9±2.7 | 22.6±3.2 | 23.3±3.1 | 24.1±3.4 | <0.0001 |
| WC (cm) | 80.8±8.9 | 78.2±8.3 | 79.9±8.8 | 81.8±8.8 | 83.2±9.1 | <0.0001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 120±18.9 | 119±18.5 | 119±18.7 | 120±18.9 | 123±19.1 | 0.007 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 74.1±12.6 | 72.6±12.2 | 73.1±11.9 | 74.5±13.4 | 76.1±12.4 | 0.0009 |
| Platelet count (109/l) | 235±53.4 | 228±53.8 | 235±53.1 | 237±51.1 | 241±55.2 | 0.01 |
| ALT (IU/l) | 18 (14–25) | 18 (14–23) | 17 (14–23) | 18 (14–25) | 19 (14–29) | <0.0001 |
| AST (IU/l) | 20 (17–24) | 21 (19–25) | 20 (17–24) | 19 (17–23) | 20 (17–24) | 0.04 |
| AST/ALT | 1.15±0.36 | 1.24±0.35 | 1.20±0.37 | 1.12±0.33 | 1.04±0.35 | <0.0001 |
| FIB-4 | 1.13 (0.82–1.52) | 1.33 (0.98–1.76) | 1.20 (0.89–1.59) | 1.05 (0.76–1.38) | 0.98 (0.70–1.36) | <0.0001 |
| GGT (IU/l) | 22 (16–33) | 20 (15–31) | 20 (16–30) | 23 (16–34) | 24 (17–38) | 0.0009 |
| C reactive protein | 0.4 (0.3–0.8) | 0.3 (0.3–0.63) | 0.4 (0.3–0.8) | 0.4 (0.3–0.8) | 0.5 (0.3–1.1) | <0.0001 |
| Amylase (IU/l) (range) | 77.3±24.9 (30–200) | 110±22.0 (90–200) | 81.3±4.7 (74–89) | 66.6±4.1 (60–73) | 50.3±7.0 (30–59) | – |
| Triglyceride (mg/dl) | 88 (64–128) | 83 (63–121) | 84 (62–123) | 88 (65–128) | 100 (65–143) | 0.001 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 61.2±15.0 | 64.2±15.4 | 62.6±14.8 | 59.8±14.6 | 58.3±14.5 | <0.0001 |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mg/dl) | 99.6±16.7 | 97.5±13.4 | 97.4±11.4 | 101±19.4 | 103±20.4 | <0.0001 |
| HbA1c (NGSP) (%) | 5.7±0.6 | 5.7±0.5 | 5.7±0.4 | 5.7±0.6 | 5.8±0.7 | 0.14 |
| eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 75.0±13.9 | 71.0±14.3 | 74.3±12.9 | 76.0±14.2 | 78.7±13.1 | <0.0001 |
| ATP-III-metabolic syndrome, n (%) | 139 (9.4) | 16 (4.3) | 23 (6.2) | 47 (12.3) | 53 (15.0) | <0.0001 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 114 (7.7) | 19 (5.1) | 17 (4.6) | 34 (8.9) | 44 (12.4) | 0.0002 |
| NAFLD of all grades, n (%) | 463 (31.4) | 83 (22.5) | 97 (26.1) | 133 (34.9) | 150 (42.4) | <0.0001 |
| Moderate-to-severe NAFLD, n (%) | 221 (15.0) | 34 (9.2) | 42 (11.3) | 60 (15.7) | 85 (24.0) | <0.0001 |
| Gallstones, n (%) | 81 (5.5) | 21 (5.7) | 20 (5.4) | 24 (6.3) | 16 (5.2) | 0.76 |
| Cholecystectomy, n (%) | 23 (1.6) | 5 (1.4) | 3 (0.8) | 5 (1.3) | 10 (2.8) | 0.15 |
| Splenomegaly, n (%) | 9 (0.6) | 1 (0.3) | 1 (0.3) | 0 | 7 (2.0) | –* |
| Medical history of | ||||||
| Cardiovascular diseases, n (%) | 55 (3.7) | 11 (3.0) | 20 (5.4) | 11 (2.9) | 13 (3.7) | 0.24 |
| Stroke, n (%) | 26 (1.8) | 12 (3.3) | 6 (1.6) | 4 (1.1) | 4 (1.1) | 0.08 |
| Medications for | ||||||
| Hypertension, n (%) | 237 (16.1) | 64 (17.3) | 47 (12.7) | 67 (17.6) | 59 (16.7) | 0.22 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia, n (%) | 177 (12.0) | 56 (15.2) | 43 (11.6) | 34 (8.9) | 44 (12.4) | 0.07 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 56 (3.8) | 12 (3.3) | 12 (3.2) | 15 (3.9) | 17 (4.8) | 0.65 |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 273 (18.5) | 40 (10.8) | 50 (13.5) | 86 (22.6) | 97 (27.4) | <0.0001 |
| Everyday alcohol consumers, n (%) | 229 (15.5) | 51 (13.8) | 59 (15.9) | 66 (17.3) | 53 (15.0) | 0.61 |
| Regular exercise, n (%) | 507 (34.4) | 144 (39.0) | 135 (36.4) | 125 (32.9) | 103 (29.1) | 0.03 |
Data are means±SD and medians (IR). p Values for continuous variables and categorical variables were determined by analysis of variance and the χ2 test, respectively. Regular exercise: ≥30 min exercise per session at least twice a week.
*Statistical analysis was not performed because of the small number of subjects with splenomegaly.
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BMI, body mass index; GGT, γ-glutamyltransferase; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; NGSP, National Glycoprotein Standardization Program; WC, waist circumference.