Table I.

Baseline demographic characteristics (week 0).

	Treatment (n=20)	Placebo (n=20)	P-value
Age, years	39.85±8.77	35.30±7.19	0.081
Male, n (%)	16 (80.0%)	15 (75.0%)	1.000
ALT	29.15±22.91	23.05±11.28	0.295
AST	22.60±9.75	20.95±5.05	0.508
r-GT	43.00±52.55	24.53±21.79	0.160
BUN	12.55 (4.78)	13.40 (3.96)	0.597
Creatinine	0.75±0.14	0.77±0.15	0.700
Iron	84.60±32.01	100.37±39.60	0.179
Ferritin	156.51±91.83	207.97±141.74	0.184
T3	109.07 (22.73)	102.49 (18.51)	0.115
T4	6.68 (1.25)	6.84 (1.66)	0.813
TSH	1.15±0.53	0.41±1.19	0.380
WBC	6.77 (2.09)	6.27 (2.14)	0.199
RBC	5.00 (0.44)	4.94 (0.53)	0.338
Hb	15.20 (1.30)	14.60 (1.80)	0.204
Hct	44.00 (2.70)	42.90 (4.40)	0.444
DHEA	218.05 (190.70)	176.50 (117.70)	0.727
Testosterone	3.22±2.38	3.11±1.63	0.877
Estradiol	50.32±40.78	44.96±23.30	0.616

Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range). ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate transaminase; r-GT, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; T3, triiodothyronine; T4, thyroxine; TSH, hyroid-stimulating hormone; WBC, white blood cell; RBC, red blood cells; Hb, hemoglobin; Hct, hematocrit; DHEA, dehydroepiandrosteron.