Table 1. Baseline characteristics according to the tertiles of HDL size.
| 1st tertile | 2nd tertile | 3rd tertile | p | |
| (<7.57 nm) | (7.57–8.22 nm) | (>8.22 nm) | ||
| N | 92 | 93 | 99 | |
| HDL size, nm | 7.24 (0.36) | 7.86 (0.34) | 8.51 (0.42) | - |
| Female, % | 49 | 54 | 64 | 0.112 |
| Ethnic group White/non-white, % | 77/23 | 75/25 | 79/21 | 0.802 |
| Age, years | 49 (13) | 51 (14) | 52 (13) | 0.115 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 24.8±3.1 | 23.9±2.8 | 23.4±2.6 | 0.004a |
| Waist circumference, cm | 82±11 | 78±9 | 75±9 | 0.0001a,b |
| Lipid accumulation product - LAP, cm.mmol/L | 17 (22) | 15 (12) | 10 (9) | 0.0001a,c |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 120 (20) | 120 (15) | 120 (20) | 0.969 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 80 (0) | 80 (11) | 80 (3) | 0.940 |
| HDL-C, mg/dL | 39 (22) | 63 (25) | 75 (13) | 0.0001a,b,c |
| Non-HDL-C, mg/dL | 124±26 | 126±27 | 116±24 | 0.022c |
| Triglycerides, mg/dL | 85 (49) | 81 (41) | 66 (28) | 0.0001a,c |
| LDL-C, mg/dL | 106±25 | 109±24 | 102±22 | 0.099 |
| Glucose, mg/dL | 87±8 | 85±10 | 85±7 | 0.324 |
| Insulin, uU/mL | 5.29 (5.15) | 3.70 (3.63) | 3.66 (2.95) | 0.001a,b |
| HOMA2S, % | 169 (148) | 239 (279) | 232 (250) | 0.002a,b |
| HOMA2B, % | 81±36 | 65±28 | 60±25 | 0.001a,b |
| Apo A-I, mg/dL | 124±29 | 157±40 | 178±29 | 0.0001a,b,c |
| Apo B, mg/dL | 82±18 | 83±19 | 77±18 | 0.043c |
| Lipoprotein (a), mg/dL | 10.4 (25.0) | 17.1 (21.0) | 10.7 (23.0) | 0.066 |
| GFR, ml/min/1.73m2 | 90 (23) | 90 (18) | 87 (20) | 0.868 |
| CETP, % | 14±6 | 13±6 | 12±5 | 0.206 |
| PLTP activity, µmolPC/mL/h | 5.74±2.53 | 5.83±2.49 | 6.11±2.35 | 0.564 |
| PLTP mass, mg/L | 5.62±1.20 | 6.54±1.42 | 6.87±1.23 | 0.0001a,b |
| PLTP specific activity (µmol/mg/L) | 1.07±0.37 | 0.98±0.30 | 0.91±0.25 | 0.019a |
| Hepatic lipase, µmolFFA/mL/h | 6.27 (4.98) | 4.34 (2.86) | 4.12 (4.02) | 0.002a,b |
| Lipoprotein lipase, µmolFFA/mL/h | 3.29 (3.87) | 3.28 (3.79) | 4.13 (3.35) | 0.408 |
| Exogenous LCAT, nmolCE/mL/h | 17±9 | 17±9 | 17±8 | 0.957 |
| Endogenous LCAT, %CE | 3.88±1.52 | 2.86±1.08 | 2.63±1.10 | 0.0001a,b |
| PON-1, µmol/min | 19 (31) | 31 (33) | 36 (48) | 0.008a,b |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L | 1.30 (1.50) | 1.06 (1.60) | 0.83 (1.30) | 0.007a,c |
| PON-1/Apo A-I | 0.16 (0.27) | 0.20 (0.26) | 0.22 (0.26) | 0.947 |
| cIMT, mm | 0.80 (0.35) | 0.71 (0.24) | 0.70 (0.19) | 0.0001 |
| 10-Year ASCV Risk, % | 1.25 (2.70) | 1.10 (2.60) | 0.90 (1.15) | 0.156 |
HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HOMA2S: homeostasis modeling assessment 2 for insulin sensitivity; HOMA2B: HOMA2 for insulin secretion; Apo: apolipoprotein; GFR: glomerular filtration rate estimated by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation; CETP: cholesteryl ester transfer protein; PLTP: phospholipids transfer protein; PC: phosphatidylcholine; FFA: free fatty acids; LCAT: lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase; CE: cholesteryl ester; PON-1: paraoxonase 1; cIMT: carotid intima-media thickness; normal and non-normal data presented as mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range) respectively; p values were obtained by ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis. cIMT comparisons were made by ANCOVA adjusted by age and gender. Significant a posteriori differences were obtained by Bonferroni or Mann-Whitney test and were indicated as: a = 1st tertile ≠3rd tertile; b = 1st tertile ≠2nd tertile; and c 2nd tertile ≠3rd tertile.