Table 1. Baseline characteristics of study participants (n = 2090).
| total (n = 2090) | No glucose intolerance (n = 889) | Prediabetes (n = 985) | Diabetes (n = 216) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (year) | 50.6 ± 8.5 | 48.5 ± 8.8 | 51.6 ± 7.9 | 54.4 ± 7.2 | <0.001 |
| Sex (male) | 1712 (82%) | 708 (80%) | 808 (82%) | 196 (91%) | 0.001 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 85.9 ± 8.6 | 83.7 ± 8.2 | 87.1 ± 8.3 | 89.8 ± 8.6 | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.7 ± 3.1 | 24.0 ± 2.8 | 25.1 ± 3.0 | 26.0 ± 3.4 | <0.001 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 115.5 ± 12.7 | 113.2 ± 13.0 | 116.7 ± 12.8 | 119.3 ± 12.6 | <0.001 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 75.9 ± 9.7 | 74.4 ± 9.5 | 76.9 ± 9.9 | 77.6 ± 9.7 | <0.001 |
| Fasting blood glucose (mg/dl) | 101.6 ± 17.5 | 91.7 ± 5.4 | 103.0 ± 8.6 | 136.1 ± 30.1 | <0.001 |
| HbA1c (%) | 5.7 ± 0.6 | 5.4 ± 0.2 | 5.7 ± 0.3 | 7.0 ± 1.1 | <0.001 |
| HOMA-IR | 1.86 ± 1.51 | 1.33 ± 0.82 | 2.00 ± 1.33 | 3.43 ± 2.76 | <0.001 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 197.5 ± 37.0 | 121.2 ± 113.1 | 142.5 ± 88.2 | 161.1 ± 127.3 | 0.003 |
| Triglyceride (mg/dL) | 135.4 ± 104.6 | 135.4 ± 104.6 | 102.0 ± 54.8 | 150.6 ± 117.6 | <0.001 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 56.5 ± 15.7 | 58.1 ± 16.0 | 55.9 ± 15.4 | 52.4 ± 15.8 | <0.001 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 131.5 ± 34.1 | 130.9 ± 32.7 | 135.8 ± 32.3 | 114.7 ± 41.7 | 0.002 |
| AST (U/L) | 26.7 ± 15.9 | 24.5 ± 11.2 | 26.9 ± 15.9 | 34.8 ± 26.2 | <0.001 |
| ALT (U/L) | 29.8 ± 21.5 | 26.6 ± 18.3 | 30.5 ± 22.4 | 39.8 ± 25.8 | <0.001 |
| GGT (U/L) | 51.6 ± 72.6 | 40.6 ± 45.1 | 53.5 ± 71.4 | 88.0 ± 132.7 | <0.001 |
| Ferritin (ng/mL) | 237.1 ± 168.4 | 223.3 ± 149.8 | 232.0 ± 152.9 | 316.8 ± 261.9 | <0.001 |
| Platelet count (x103/mm2) | 238.2 ± 52.2 | 237.4 ± 53.4 | 239.4 ± 51.4 | 235.9 ± 52.2 | 0.875 |
| FIB-4 index | 1.15 ± 0.69 | 1.10 ± 0.71 | 1.15 ± 0.52 | 1.40 ± 1.07 | <0.001 |
| LSM in MRE (kPa) | 2.42 ± 0.43 | 2.37 ± 0.43 | 2.41 ± 0.34 | 2.65 ± 0.70 | <0.001 |
| Use of lipid lowering agents | 216 (10%) | 52 (6%) | 100 (10%) | 64 (30%) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 530 (25%) | 155 (18%) | 277 (29%) | 98 (46%) | <0.001 |
| Metabolic syndrome | 474 (23%) | 51 (6%) | 312 (33%) | 111 (53%) | <0.001 |
| HBsAg positivity | 181 (9%) | 103 (12%) | 63 (6%) | 15 (7%) | <0.001 |
| HCV antibody positivity | 10 (1%) | 5 (0.6%) | 5 (0.5%) | 0 (0%) | 0.388 |
| NAFLD | 640 (31%) | 212 (24%) | 328 (33%) | 100 (46%) | <0.001 |
| Significant alcohol consumption | 579 (28%) | 206 (23%) | 305 (31%) | 68 (32%) | <0.001 |
*Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HbA1c, hemoglobin a1c; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; FIB-4, fibrosis-4; LSM, liver stiffness measurement; MRE, magnetic resonance elastography; kPa, kilopascal; HBsAg, hepatitis B virus surface antigen; HCV, hepatitis C virus; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
**No glucose intolerance was defined as fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels < 100 mg/dl and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) < 5.7%. Prediabetes was defined as FBS levels of 100 to 125 mg/dl or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels of 5.7% to 6.4%. Diabetes mellitus was defined as FBS ≥ 126 mg/dL or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 6.5% or treatment with anti-diabetic medication.
†Continuous variables are presented as mean value ± standard deviation.
‡Significant alcohol consumption: > 210 g/week for males or > 140 g/week for females.