Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of the study group as means (SDs) or percentages
| Grade of liver brightness | 0 (n=720) | 1 (n=124) | 2 (n=144) | p | p (0–1) | p (1–2) | p (0–2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 50.9 (6.0) | 51.9 (6.1) | 51.5 (5.5) | NS | NS | NS | NS |
| Males | 44.3% (n=319) | 65.3% (n=81) | 59.9% (n=82) | <0.001 | – | – | – |
| Hypertensives | 41.4% (n=298) | 66.1% (n=82) | 71.5% (n=103) | <0.001 | – | – | – |
| BMI (kg/m²) | 26.4 (3.9) | 29.8 (5.0) | 31.9 (4.9) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 86.8 (11.9) | 97.7 (12.0) | 102.3 (11.8) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.01 | <0.001 |
| Smoking (pack-years) | 10.6 (13.3) | 14.3 (14.9) | 14.0 (14.6) | <0.05 | NS | NS | NS |
| Alcohol consumption (g/week) | 51.1 (83.0) | 95.1 (117.0) | 82.6 (105.1) | <0.01 | <0.05 | NS | NS |
| Total serum cholesterol (mmol/L) | 5.6 (1.0) | 5.8 (1.1) | 5.8 (1.1) | NS | NS | NS | NS |
| LDL (mmol/L) | 3.5 (0.9) | 3.7 (1.1) | 3.5 (0.9) | NS | NS | NS | NS |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 1.4 (0.8) | 1.9 (0.8) | 2.2 (1.4) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.05 | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 145.2 (21.5) | 152.7 (20.3) | 157.1 (22.2) | <0.001 | <0.01 | NS | <0.001 |
| Fasting insulin (mmol/L) | 10.8 (7.7) | 18.2 (10.3) | 23.8 (17.6) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Fasting glucose (mmol/L) | 4.4 (0.7) | 5.0 (1.4) | 6.1 (2.8) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| QUICKI | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.6 (0.1) | 0.5 (0.1) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| hs-CRP (ng/mL) | 3039.4 (6758.3) | 3981.4 (6068.2) | 6122.0 (6630.8) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.01 | <0.001 |
| ALT U/L | 26.2 (15.5) | 37.8 (17.1) | 55.4 (37.7) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| GGT U/L | 35.1 (33.5) | 69.7 (116.3) | 76.8 (92.4) | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.01 | <0.001 |
| Antihypertensive treatment | 43.6% (n=314) | 66.9% (n=83) | 72.9% (n=105) | <0.001 | – | – | – |
| Lipid-lowering treatment | 2.2% (n=16) | 1.6% (n=2) | 6.2% (n=9) | <0.05 | – | – | – |
| Hypoglycaemic drug | 1.1% (n=8) | 1.6% (n=2) | 10.4% (n=15) | <0.001 | – | – | – |
| Type 2 diabetes | 2.4% (n=17) | 12.1% (n=15) | 36.8% (n=53) | <0.001 | – | – | – |
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; BMI, body mass index; GGT, γ-glutamyltransferase; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C reactive protein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; N, number of participants; NS, not significant; QUICKI, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index.