Table 3.
Comparison between patients with and without significant liver fibrosis (> 7 kPa)
| Variables | Patients without significant fibrosis [n = 148 (93.1%), LS value ≤ 7 kPa] | Patients with significant fibrosis [n = 11 (6.9%), LS value > 7 kPa] | P value |
| Age, yr | 55.5 ± 10.4 | 63.2 ± 11.5 | NS |
| Male gender | 80 (54.1) | 7 (63.6) | NS |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 24.1 ± 3.0 | 27.5 ± 3.0 | 0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 17 (11.5) | 2 (18.2) | NS |
| Hypertension | 38 (25.7) | 2 (18.2) | NS |
| Daily alcohol intake, mg | 16.2 ± 31.7 | 11.0 ± 16.4 | NS |
| Alanine aminotransferase, IU/L | 22.2 ± 11.4 | 32.3 ± 17.1 | 0.024 |
| Platelet count, 109/L | 235.6 ± 55.5 | 234.2 ± 92.0 | NS |
| Fasting plasma glucose, mg/dL | 99.7 ± 24.3 | 106.1 ± 24.9 | NS |
| HOMA-IR | 1.7 ± 1.2 | 2.9 ± 2.0 | 0.034 |
| HbA1c, % | 6.0 ± 0.7 | 6.2 ± 0.6 | NS |
| Presence of fatty liver on Sonography, n | 53 (35.8%) | 9 (81.8%) | 0.004 |
| Intimal media thickness, mm | 0.7 ± 0.2 | 1.4 ± 2.1 | 0.011 |
| Presence of carotid plaque | 31 (20.9) | 3 (27.3) | NS |
| Calcified carotid plaque, n | 0.4 ± 1.0 | 1.5 ± 1.8 | 0.019 |
| Visceral fat area, cm2 | 107.2 ± 47.7 | 171.5 ± 93.0 | 0.002 |
| Controlled attenuation parameter, dB/m | 246.4 ± 43.8 | 266.7 ± 45.6 | NS |
Values are expressed as the mean ± SD (range), median (range), or n (%). NS: Not significant; LS: Liver stiffness; HOMA-IR: Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; HbA1c: Glycated hemoglobin.