Table I.
Patient characteristics.
| Characteristics | CLD group | Disease CON group | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total, n | 148 | 106 | |
| Median age, years (range) | 71 (17–85) | 65 (24–86) | 0.0006 |
| Male/female, n | 103/45 | 60/46 | 0.0332 |
| Median body mass index, kg/m2 (range) | 23.2 (15.8–35.7) | 21.6 (15.0–34.1) | 0.0023 |
| Lifestyle, n | |||
| Sleep, hypersomnia/good/insomnia | 8/120/20 | 4/89/13 | 0.7848 |
| Constipation, yes/no | 1/147 | 6/100 | 0.0167 |
| Muscle cramp, yes/no | 71/75 | 34/72 | 0.0085 |
| Use of psychotropic medication, yes/no | 18/129 | 10/95 | 0.4980 |
| Habitual coffee consumption, yes/no | 80/68 | 69/37 | 0.0781 |
| Habitual yoghurt consumption, yes/no | 101/46 | 65/41 | 0.2223 |
| History of alcohol consumption, yes/no | 14/134 | 10/96 | 0.5848 |
| Median biochemical examinations (range) | |||
| AST, IU/l | 48 (13–693) | 24 (8–550) | <0.0001 |
| ALT, IU/l | 37 (5–473) | 20 (3–637) | <0.0001 |
| Total bilirubin, mg/dl | 0.93 (0.15–18.58) | 0.74 (0.05–23.18) | 0.0019 |
| Albumin, g/dl | 3.53 (2.23–4.85) | 4.00 (1.7–5.04) | <0.0001 |
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 0.72 (0.30–8.84) | 0.71 (0.33–2.43) | 0.2002 |
| Prothrombin activity, % | 81 (21–140) | 103 (22–140) | <0.0001 |
| Platelet count, ×103/mm3 | 11.1 (3.6–40.3) | 21.6 (4.5–64.3) | <0.0001 |
| CLD-related variables | |||
| Presence of liver cirrhosis, n (yes/no) | 81/67 | N/A | N/A |
| Median APRI (range) | 1.64 (0.19–8.37) | N/A | N/A |
| Median ammonia, μg/dl (range) | 51 (15–200) | N/A | N/A |
| Use of BCAA-related medication, n (yes/no) | 54/94 | N/A | N/A |
| Use of lactulose, n (yes/no) | 16/132 | N/A | N/A |
AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; N/A, not applicable; APRI, AST-to-platelet ratio index; BCAA, branched-chain amino acid; CLD group, chronic liver disease group; disease CON group, disease control group.