Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population according to FLI change (n = 240,301)
| Non-NAFLD | Regressed NAFLD | Incident NAFLD | Persistent NAFLD | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | 206,538 (85.95) | 9212 (3.83) | 9641 (4.01) | 14,910 (6.20) | < 0.001 |
| Age (years) | 52.69 ± 9.42 | 53.62 ± 9.52 | 52.35 ± 9.16 | 51.76 ± 8.93 | < 0.001 |
| Males | 103,081 (49.91) | 7444 (80.81) | 7614 (78.98) | 12,797 (85.83) | < 0.001 |
| Income level, lowest 25% | 47,125 (22.82) | 1821 (19.77) | 1966 (20.39) | 2843 (19.07) | < 0.001 |
| Current smoker | 38,815 (18.79) | 3,049 (33.10) | 3,075 (31.90) | 5855 (39.27) | < 0.001 |
| Regular exercise | 51,489 (24.93) | 2,389 (25.93) | 2,012 (20.87) | 3130 (20.99) | < 0.001 |
| Body weight (kg) | 61.47 ± 9.13 | 71.88 ± 8.17 | 74.60 ± 8.63 | 79.85 ± 9.73 | < 0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.22 ± 2.53 | 25.97 ± 2.29 | 26.94 ± 2.57 | 28.32 ± 2.90 | < 0.001 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 78.78 ± 7.50 | 86.66 ± 5.58 | 90.39 ± 5.79 | 93.28 ± 6.68 | < 0.001 |
| In males | 81.66 ± 6.34 | 86.79 ± 5.38 | 90.27 ± 5.52 | 92.98 ± 6.50 | < 0.001 |
| In females | 75.90 ± 7.45 | 86.11 ± 6.33 | 90.83 ± 6.66 | 95.08 ± 7.48 | < 0.001 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 121.00 ± 14.53 | 126.81 ± 14.26 | 128.48 ± 14.27 | 130.17 ± 14.50 | < 0.001 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 75.60 ± 9.73 | 79.20 ± 9.64 | 80.81 ± 9.70 | 81.97 ± 10.07 | < 0.001 |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mg/dl) | 96.60 ± 19.42 | 104.82 ± 27.93 | 105.64 ± 26.12 | 110.49 ± 32.25 | < 0.001 |
| AST (IU/L) | 23.39 ± 11.74 | 25.54 ± 10.45 | 32.52 ± 48.61 | 31.88 ± 20.67 | < 0.001 |
| ALT (IU/L) | 21.08 ± 15.13 | 27.06 ± 14.24 | 39.13 ± 40.42 | 39.42 ± 26.00 | < 0.001 |
| GGT (IU/L) | 26.40 ± 21.94 | 44.92 ± 35.08 | 73.94 ± 75.99 | 82.80 ± 79.60 | < 0.001 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 197.32 ± 34.79 | 200.70 ± 37.44 | 212.74 ± 37.97 | 211.44 ± 40.01 | < 0.001 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 112.53 ± 61.01 | 151.20 ± 70.42 | 246.09 ± 39.52 | 249.82 ± 54.52 | < 0.001 |
| HDL-C (mg/dl) | 56.58 ± 16.04 | 50.23 ± 14.77 | 48.89 ± 15.07 | 47.50 ± 14.33 | < 0.001 |
| LDL-C (mg/dl) | 118.63 ± 36.83 | 120.87 ± 41.85 | 117.42 ± 42.92 | 117.28 ± 49.05 | < 0.001 |
| eGFR < 60 (ml/min/1.73m2) | 40,258 (19.49) | 2908 (31.57) | 3051 (31.65) | 4974 (33.36) | < 0.001 |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Hypertension | 52,227 (25.29) | 4112 (44.64) | 4205 (43.62) | 7565 (50.74) | < 0.001 |
| Dyslipidemia | 43,821 (21.22) | 3316 (36.00) | 3532 (36.64) | 6047 (40.56) | < 0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 14,114 (6.83) | 1623 (17.62) | 1419 (14.72) | 3118 (20.91) | < 0.001 |
| Metabolic syndromea | 51,166 (24.77) | 4786 (51.95) | 7247 (75.17) | 11,976 (80.32) | < 0.001 |
Continuous variables are expressed as means ± standard deviations. Categorical data are presented as frequencies and percentages
AST alanine aminotransferase, ALT aspartate aminotransferase, BMI body mass index, DBP diastolic blood pressure, eGFR estimated glomerular filtration rate, FLI fatty liver index, GGT gamma-glutamyl transferase, HDL-C high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, SBP systolic blood pressure
aMetabolic syndrome was defined as three or more of the following five risk factors: Waist circumference ≥ 90 in males and ≥ 80 in females, triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dl, HDL < 40 in males and < 50 in females, blood pressure ≥ 130/ ≥ 85, and fasting glucose ≥ 100 mg/dl