Table 1.
Demographic, clinical and biochemical data of the studied population
| Variabile | Overall N = 305 |
Group1 (Normal) N = 106 |
Group2 (Overweight) N = 100 |
Group3 (Obese) N = 99 |
P value # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender, female, N (%) | 135 (44.8) | 40 (38.5) | 46 (46.9) | 49 (49.4) | 0.25 |
| Age | 10.9 (3.0) | 10.1 (3.3) | 11.8 (2.6) | 11.0 (2.95) | <0.0012 |
| Weight, kilograms | 51.2 (19.9) | 35.2 (12.2) | 54.8 (13.8) | 63.9 (20.4) | <0.001* |
| Height, meters | 1.46 (0.16) | 1.41 (0.17) | 1.51 (0.14) | 1.48 (0.16) | 0.0011,3 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.1 (5.7) | 17.2 (2.8) | 23.6 (2.3) | 28.4 (4.4) | <0.001* |
| Waist circumference, cm | 76.7 (17.2) | 55.3 (11.5) | 79.82 (9.1) | 88.48 (11.8) | <0.001* |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 107.8 (10.4) | 110.9 (8.54) | 106.3 (10.03) | 106.9 (11.5) | 0.021 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 68.7 (8.3) | 70.35 (7.63) | 68.15 (7.83) | 68.2 (9) | 0.22 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dl | 160.3 (29.5) | 156.4 (29.4) | 160.6 (28.3) | 162.6 (30.5) | 0.44 |
| HDL cholesterol, mg/dl | 48.9 (10.8) | 52.7 (12.3) | 49.4 (10.6) | 46.2 (9.4) | 0.0011 |
| AST, IU/L | 22.6 (8.69) | 22.7 (6.45) | 21.8 (9.01) | 23.2 (9.9) | 0.56 |
| ALT, IU/L | 20.8 (17.2) | 15.1 (5.4) | 21.4 (19.6) | 25.0 (19.8) | 0.0013 |
| GGT, IU/L | 16.5 (8.5) | 13.3 (5.5) | 16.7 (6.2) | 18.9 (11.0) | <0.0011,3 |
| Fasting blood glucose, mg/dl | 76.6 (10.4) | 76.0 (11.9) | 76.7 (10.1) | 77.1 (9.4) | 0.78 |
| Fasting insulin, microIU/ml | 12.7 (9.1) | 9.07 (6.1) | 12.69 (8.5) | 13.2 (10.0) | 0.34 |
| HOMA-IR, % | 2.47 (1.9) | 1.83 (1.22) | 2.41 (1.71) | 2.6 (2.17) | 0.41 |
| Triglycerides, mg/dl | 72.2 (35.1) | 63.6 (29.2) | 75.3 (40.2) | 74.8 (32.9) | 0.09 |
| Fatty liver index | 0.18 (0.21) | 0.03 (0.08) | 0.14 (0.12) | 0.3 (0.2) | <0.001* |
| Hepatic steatosis index | 0.46 (0.34) | 0.13 (0.18) | 0.45 (0.26) | 0.7 (0.2) | <0.001* |
| CAP, decibel/meter | 228.5 (50.34) | 200.5 (39.36) | 231.6 (51.46) | 254.6 (44.4) | <0.001* |
| LSM, kiloPascal | 4.70 (.93) | 4.59 (.96) | 4.73 (.92) | 4.80 (.9) | 0.30 |
| Metabolic syndrome, N (%) | 12 (6.09) | 0 (0) | 7 (9.2) | 5 (6.2) | 0.143 |
BMI body mass index; HDL high-density lipoprotein; AST aspartate aminotransferase; ALT alanine aminotransferase; GGT gamma glutamyltransferase; HOMA-IR homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance; CAP controlled attenuation parameter; LSM liver stiffness measurement. Values are reported as mean and standard deviation unless otherwise specified
# P values refer to differences among three groups; 1 normal vs. overweight, 2normal vs obese, 3overweight vs obese: p < 0.05; * for all comparisons: p <0.01