Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients and controls.
| ASD subjects (N = 60) | Control subjects (N = 240) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (M/F) | 49/11 (82/18%) | 126/114 (52.5/47.5%) | <0.001 |
| Age (years) | 10 ± 1.5 | 17 ± 3 | <0.001 |
| Body weight (kg) | 38 ± 17 | 30 ± 15 | <0.001 |
| Height (cm) | 137 ± 22 | 128 ± 24 | 0.01 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 19 ± 5 | 18 ± 4 | <0.001 |
| BMI z-score (SDS) | 0.67 ± 1.85 | 0.28 ± 1.43 | 0.08 |
| Weight category | 0.128 | ||
| Normal weight | 27 (45%) | 137 (56%) | |
| Overweight | 22 (37%) | 59 (25%) | |
| Obese | 11 (18%) | 44 (18%) | |
| Fasting glucose (mg/dl) | 84.5 ± 8 | 80 ± 8 | <0.001 |
| Fasting insulin (µUI/ml) | 9 ± 6 | 6.5 ± 5 | <0.001 |
| HOMA-IR (dimensionless) | 2.0 ± 1.5 | 1.3 ± 1.0 | <0.001 |
| HOMA-IR > 2.5 | 12 (20%) | 13 (5.4%) | <0.001 |
p refers to the statistical significance at the t-test for unpaired continuous data or at the Chi square test or categorical data.
ASD autism spectrum disorder, BMI body mass index.