Demographic and clinical characteristics
| Quintile 1 <0.80 ng/dL (n=47) | Quintile 2 0.80–0.89 ng/dL (n=54) | Quintile 3 0.90–1.01 ng/dL (n=40) | Quintile 4 1.02–1.17 ng/dL (n=45) | Quintile 5 ≥1.18 ng/dL (n=46) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 55±1 | 56±1 | 57±1 | 60±1 | 59±1 | 0.02 |
| Gender (male, %) | 72 | 80 | 88 | 89 | 87 | 0.18 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 33.4±0.7 | 34.3±0.7 | 33.7±0.8 | 32.6±0.7 | 33.9±0.7 | 0.51 |
| Total body fat (%) | 32±1 | 35±1 | 34±1 | 36±1 | 36±1 | 0.08 |
| HbA1c (%) | 7.0±0.2 | 7.0±0.2 | 7.0±0.2 | 7.4±0.2 | 7.5±0.2 | 0.16 |
| Plasma insulin (μU/mL) | 15±2 | 15±2 | 13±1 | 13±2 | 14±2 | 0.89 |
| Use of T2DM medications | ||||||
| Metformin (%) | 63 | 68 | 79 | 78 | 88 | 0.09 |
| Sulfonylureas (%) | 41 | 47 | 32 | 52 | 38 | 0.55 |
| Insulin (%) | 23 | 19 | 28 | 30 | 19 | 0.77 |
| AST (U/L) | 30 (24–45) | 32 (23–54) | 27 (21–36) | 24 (18–28) | 28 (21–36) | 0.003 |
| ALT (U/L) | 39 (25–59) | 40 (27–70) | 36 (23–48) | 30 (18–47) | 31 (21–49) | 0.09 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 128±2 | 132±2 | 132±3 | 135±2 | 136±3 | 0.22 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 75±1 | 76±1 | 78±2 | 80±2 | 82±2 | 0.002 |
| Use of lipid-lowering medication (%) | 84 | 74 | 90 | 89 | 79 | 0.17 |
| Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 165±5 | 164±6 | 158±5 | 174±7 | 160±6 | 0.42 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 137 (97–192) | 148 (109–192) | 120 (87–166) | 142 (99–238) | 136 (94–197) | 0.63 |
| LDL-C (mg/dL) | 94±5 | 92±5 | 89±4 | 98±6 | 86±5 | 0.49 |
| HDL-C (mg/dL) | 38±1 | 39±1 | 40±2 | 39±1 | 42±2 | 0.28 |
ALT, alanine transaminase ;AST, aspartate transaminase; BMI, body mass index; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus.