Table 1. Anthropometric and biochemical characteristics of the study subjects stratified according to fibrosis risk score.
| Variables | Whole studysubjects | Low probability offibrosis (<−1.455) | Intermediate probability offibrosis (−1.455–0.676) | High probability offibrosis (>0.676) | P |
| Number (Male/Female) | 400 (227/173) | 164 (89/75) | 202 (115/87) | 34 (23/11) | 0.35 |
| Age (yrs) | 53.7±10.7 | 48.3±9.9 | 56.5±9.1d | 63.6±9.7d | <0.0001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 32.3±6.1 | 30.5±5.6 | 33.2±5.9b | 35.8±7.6d | <0.0001 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 107±13 | 103±12 | 109±13c | 114±16d | <0.0001 |
| Current smokers No (%) | 69 (17.2%) | 33 (20.1%) | 33 (16.3%) | 3 (8.8%) | 0.25 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 136±18 | 133±15 | 136±18 | 144±26 | 0.25 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 82±10 | 83±9 | 82±10 | 81±14 | 0.58 |
| Fasting glucose (mmol/l) | 6.44±2.78 | 5.55±2.16 | 6.77±2.72c | 8.44±4.00d | <0.0001 |
| 2-h post-load glucose (mmol/l) | 7.71±2.50 | 6.94±2.22 | 8.38±2.61d | 9.16±2.44d | <0.0001 |
| Fasting insulin (pmol/l) | 104.18±62.51 | 97.23±62.51 | 111.12±62.51b | 118.07±131.96b | 0.009 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/l) | 5.13±1.04 | 5.28±1.01 | 5.10±1.06 | 4.71±1.06a | 0.08 |
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 3.11±0.91 | 3.26±0.85 | 3.03±0.91 | 2.72±1.04a | 0.07 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 1.22±0.34 | 1.24±0.34 | 1.22±0.34 | 1.14±0.31a | 0.08 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/l) | 1.67±0.82 | 1.58±0.78 | 1.72±0.82 | 1.79±82 | 0.42 |
| ALT (µkat/l) | 0.50±0.28 | 0.53±0.30 | 0.48±0.27 | 0.38±0.25a | 0.04 |
| AST (µkat/l) | 0.42±0.23 | 0.38±0.15 | 0.40±0.17 | 0.55±0.37b | 0.01 |
| AST/ALT ratio | 0.93±0.47 | 0.82±0.27 | 0.93±0.32b | 1.48±1.10d | <0.0001 |
| GGT (µkat/l) | 0.60±0.47 | 0.60±0.45 | 0.57±0.42 | 0.60±0.50 | 0.59 |
| Platelet count (x109/l) | 250±70 | 290±77 | 231±45d | 175±46d | <0.0001 |
| Albumin (g/l) | 44.2±3.1 | 45.0±3.0 | 44.1±2.9a | 41.6±2.9d | <0.0001 |
| Fibrinogen (µmol/l) | 9.17±2.12 | 8.61±1.76 | 9.50±2.29b | 9.97±1.91a | 0.03 |
| hsCRP (nmol/l) | 42.86±40.95 | 37.14±32.38 | 46.67±44.76b | 58.10±55.24c | 0.004 |
| ESR (mm/h) | 13±10 | 11±9 | 14±11b | 20±13c | 0.003 |
| IGF-1 (nmol/l) | 18.73±6.81 | 20.31±6.81 | 18.08±6.81a | 15.20±5.24c | 0.02 |
| NFG/IFG/IGT/T2DM (No) | 146/47/86/121 | 109/12/20/23 | 36/31/56/79d | 1/4/10/19d | <0.0001 |
| Metabolic syndrome No (%) | 287 (71.8%) | 94 (57.3%) | 164 (81.2%)d | 29 (85.3%)d | <0.0001 |
| Therapy with statins No (%) | 108 (27.0%) | 30 (18.3%) | 61 (30.2%)b | 17 (50.0%)c | <0.0001 |
| ACE inhibitor therapy No (%) | 110 (27.5%) | 40 (24.4%) | 56 (27.7%) | 14 (41.2%)a | 0.13 |
| Angiotensin receptor blocker therapy No (%) | 97 (24.2%) | 30 (18.3%) | 56 (27.7%)a | 12 (35.3%)a | 0.03 |
| Calcium channel blockers No (%) | 84 (21.0%) | 36 (22.0%) | 39 (19.3%) | 9 (26.5%) | 0.59 |
| Diuretics No (%) | 96 (24.0%) | 22 (13.4%) | 57 (28.2%)c | 17 (50.0%)d | <0.0001 |
| Framingham risk score | 6.8±4.7 | 5.0±4.6 | 7.9±4.2d | 9.2±4.4d | <0.0001 |
| Relative risk for 10-year CHD (%) | 13±10 | 11±9 | 14±11d | 20±13d | <0.0001 |
Data are means ± SD. Insulin, triglycerides, hsCRP, and ESR levels were log transformed for statistical analysis, but values in the table represent a back transformation to the original scale. Categorical variables were compared by χ2 test. P values refer to results after analyses with adjustment for gender and age. M = male; F = female; SBP = systolic blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; LDL = low density lipoprotein; HDL = high density lipoprotein; hsCRP = high sensitivity C-reactive protein; ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate; IGF-1 = insulin-like growth factor-1; ALT = alanine aminotransferase; AST = aspartate aminotransferase; GGT = gamma-glutamyltransferase; ACE = angiotensin-converting-enzyme; NFG = normal fasting glucose; IFG = impaired fasting glucose; IGT = impaired glucose tolerance; T2DM = type 2 diabetes, CHD = coronary heart disease.
P<0.05 vs. Low risk of fibrosis group.
P<0.01 vs. Low risk of fibrosis group.
P<0.001 vs. Low risk of fibrosis group.
P<0.0001 vs. Low risk of fibrosis group.