TABLE 1.
Baseline characteristics of the average-risk population according to metabolic status.
| Total subjects (n = 6,215) |
Metabolically healthy group (n = 3,291) |
Metabolically unhealthy group (n = 2,924) |
P-value | |
| Age (years)† | 47.5 ± 10.1 | 45.9 ± 10 | 49.3 ± 10 | <0.001 |
| Male | 5,031 (80.9) | 2,514 (76.4) | 2,517 (86.1) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 1,642 (26.4) | 279 (8.5) | 1,363 (46.6) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | 571 (9.2) | 0 (0) | 571 (19.5) | <0.001 |
| Alcohol consumption (g/week)† | 57.2 ± 0.7 | 38.1 ± 55.3 | 42.8 ± 59.3 | 0.001 |
| Number of metabolic risks† | 1.52 ± 1.29 | 0.49 ± 0.5 | 2.68 ± 0.87 | <0.001 |
| Metabolic syndrome | 1,442 (23.2) | 0 (0) | 1,442 (23.2) | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2)† | 24.8 ± 3.2 | 23.4 ± 2.5 | 26.3 ± 3.1 | <0.001 |
| Waist circumference (cm)† | 85.5 ± 9 | 81.2 ± 7.6 | 90.2 ± 8 | <0.001 |
| SBP (mmHg)† | 116 ± 13 | 111 ± 11 | 121 ± 13 | <0.001 |
| DBP (mmHg)† | 75 ± 9 | 71 ± 8 | 78 ± 9 | <0.001 |
| AST (IU/L)† | 29 ± 17 | 26 ± 14 | 32 ± 19 | <0.001 |
| ALT (IU/L)† | 31 ± 29 | 25 ± 25 | 38 ± 31 | <0.001 |
| GGT (U/L)† | 55 ± 83 | 41 ± 70 | 71 ± 94 | <0.001 |
| Triglyceride (mg/dL)† | 144 ± 111 | 100 ± 56 | 194 ± 135 | <0.001 |
| HDL (mg/dL)† | 53 ± 13 | 57 ± 12 | 48 ± 11 | <0.001 |
| Glucose (mg/dL)† | 99 ± 20 | 91 ± 8 | 108 ± 25 | <0.001 |
| FIB-4† | 1.11 ± 0.6 | 1.07 ± 0.53 | 1.15 ± 0.68 | <0.001 |
| NFS† | -2.28 ± 1.2 | -2.59 ± 1.09 | -1.93 ± 1.21 | <0.001 |
| Liver stiffness (kPa)† | 2.33 ± 0.58 | 2.27 ± 0.58 | 2.4 ± 0.57 | <0.001 |
| Sonographic fatty liver | 2,963 (47.7) | 1,024 (31.1) | 1,939 (66.3) | <0.001 |
| Significant hepatic fibrosis | 411 (6.6) | 129 (3.9) | 282 (9.6) | <0.001 |
| Advanced hepatic fibrosis | 102 (1.6) | 25 (0.8) | 77 (2.6) | <0.001 |
Data are expressed as number (percent). †Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation. Metabolically healthy group was defined as having less than two metabolic risks and not having diabetes. AST, aspartate transaminase; ALT, alanine transaminase; BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FIB-4, fibrosis-4 index; GGT, γ-glutamyl transferase; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; MRE, magnetic resonance elastography; NFS, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score; SBP, systolic blood pressure.