Baseline characteristics according to quartile of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels
| Quartile of serum ALT levels* | P value for trend | ||||
| Group 1 (n=1422) | Group 2 (n=1234) | Group 3 (n=1359) | Group 4 (n=1315) | ||
| Age, mean (SD), years | 58.8 (11.5) | 60.2 (10.6) | 61.2 (9.2) | 58.8 (10.5) | 0.274 |
| Men, n (%) | 599 (42.1) | 581 (47.1) | 567 (41.7) | 603 (45.9) | 0.321 |
| Smoking, n (%) | 286 (20.1) | 216 (17.6) | 221 (16.3) | 248 (18.9) | 0.250 |
| Current daily alcohol intake, n (%) | 276 (21.3) | 302 (26.8) | 280 (23.1) | 272 (23.0) | 0.696 |
| Regular exercise, n (%) | 350 (26.4) | 321 (28.1) | 343 (27.1) | 326 (26.6) | 0.981 |
| Body mass index, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 22.4 (2.9) | 23.0 (3.0) | 23.8 (3.2) | 25.1 (3.8) | <0.001 |
| Obesity, n (%) | 280 (19.7) | 286 (23.2) | 459 (33.8) | 612 (46.5) | <0.001 |
| Waist circumference, mean (SD), cm | 80.4 (9.0) | 82.1 (8.6) | 84.3 (8.9) | 87.3 (10.1) | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mean (SD), mm Hg | 126.5 (18.6) | 129.4 (18.3) | 130.1 (19.2) | 130.7 (17.9) | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mean (SD), mm Hg | 73.7 (11.0) | 74.7 (11.1) | 75.3 (10.7) | 76.3 (11.2) | <0.001 |
| Use of blood pressure lowering medications, n (%) | 345 (24.3) | 312 (25.4) | 391 (28.8) | 417 (31.7) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 549 (38.7) | 523 (42.4) | 621 (45.7) | 645 (49.1) | <0.001 |
| Use of lipid lowering medications, n (%) | 121 (8.5) | 110 (9.0) | 203 (15.0) | 195 (14.9) | <0.001 |
| Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mean (SD), mmol/L | 3.04 (0.77) | 3.14 (0.79) | 3.27 (0.81) | 3.23 (0.90) | <0.0001 |
| High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mean (SD), mmol/L | 1.64 (0.46) | 1.66 (0.42) | 1.63 (0.50) | 1.53 (0.44) | <0.001 |
| Triglyceride, median (IQR), mmol/L | 2.22 (1.63–3.05) | 2.38 (1.76–3.23) | 2.64 (1.89–3.78) | 3.00 (2.12–4.32) | <0.001 |
| Dyslipidaemia, n (%) | 467 (32.8) | 460 (37.3) | 650 (47.8) | 682 (51.9) | <0.001 |
| Aspartate aminotransferase, mean (SD), U/L | 18.9 (4.1) | 21.8 (4.3) | 24.3 (5.5) | 36.0 (22.1) | <0.001 |
| Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, median (IQR), U/L | 18 (14–26) | 22 (16–35) | 27 (19–43) | 42 (25–76) | <0.001 |
| HbA1c NGSP, mean (SD), % | 5.0 (0.3) | 5.0 (0.4) | 5.1 (0.4) | 5.1 (0.4) | <0.001 |
| Proteinuria, n (%) | 57 (4.0) | 60 (4.9) | 52 (3.8) | 67 (5.1) | 0.371 |
*Group 1=3–16 U/L in men and 3–13 U/L in women, group 2=17–21 U/L in men and 14–16 U/L in women, group 3=22–29 U/L in men and 17–22 U/L in women, group 4=30–428 U/L in men and 23–268 U/L in women.
HbA1c, glycated haemoglobin; NGSP, National Glycohemoglobin Standardisation Programme.