Lifestyle intervention in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Chengyang District, Qingdao, China

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants

Variable	LS (n = 724)	CON (n = 363)	P value
Gender (M/F)	464/260	229/134	0.632
Age (yr)	39.9 ± 13.1	37.4 ± 18.2	0.221
Weight (kg)	88.5 ± 18.4	84.3 ± 21.8	0.711
Waist circumference (cm)	106.3 ± 23.2	108.8 ± 15.7	0.954
BMI	37.7 ± 12.7	38.4 ± 17.1	0.842
ALT (IU/L)	59.3 ± 20.1	58.3 ± 18.8	0.513
AST (IU/L)	57.8 ± 26.6	59.3 ± 12.9	0.182
GGT (IU/L)	61.3 ± 11.2	59.8 ± 19.6	0.215
Cholesterol (mmol/L)	5.7 ± 0.9	5.8 ± 1.1	0.167
Triglycerides (mmol/L)	2.4 ± 0.4	2.2 ± 0.6	0.094
Fasting glucose (mmol/L)	7.5 ± 1.3	7.4 ± 1.6	0.332
Fasting insulin (μIU/mL)	17.7 ± 4.3	19.5 ± 5.7	0.185
HOMA-IR	2.4 ± 0.7	2.3 ± 0.9	0.231
L/S ratio	0.8 ± 0.3	0.7 ± 0.2	0.423
VFA, cm2	135.6 ± 38.7	138.9 ± 39.4	0.172
Diabetes (%)	66 (6.1)	62 (5.7)	0.876
Metabolic syndrome (%)	201 (18.5)	186 (17.1)	0.563

Data as percentage or mean ± SE. BMI: Body mass index; ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate transaminase; GGT: γ-glutamyltransferase; HOMA-IR: Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; VFA: Visceral fat area; L/S: Liver-spleen.

Table 2 Change in physical and biochemical parameters after 6 mo of intervention

Variable	Group	Baseline	6 mo	P value
Gender (M/F)	LS	442/253	442/253	1.457
	CON	221/119	221/119
Age (yr)	LS	39.9 ± 13.1	38.7 ± 12.4	1.658
	CON	37.4 ± 18.2	39.7 ± 14.6
Weight (kg)	LS	88.5 ± 18.4	83.5 ± 21.6	0.036
	CON	84.3 ± 21.8	85.7 ± 16.8
BMI	LS	37.7 ± 12.7	28.2 ± 11.5	0.043
	CON	38.4 ± 17.1	39.7 ± 17.3
Waist circumference	LS	106.3 ± 23.2	99.4 ± 33.7	0.031
(cm)	CON	108.8 ± 15.7	109.3 ± 21.8
ALT (IU/L)	LS	59.3 ± 20.1	49.1 ± 18.3	0.003
	CON	58.3 ± 18.8	59.3 ± 24.5
AST(IU/L)	LS	57.8 ± 26.6	54.2 ± 25.3	0.614
	CON	59.3 ± 12.9	58.6 ± 14.5
GGT (IU/L)	LS	67.8 ± 19.6	61.8 ± 15.2	0.071
	CON	68.3 ± 11.2	69.3 ± 14.1
Cholesterol	LS	5.7 ± 0.9	4.8 ± 1.4	0.046
(mmol/L)	CON	5.8 ± 1.1	5.8 ± 1.8
Triglycerides	LS	2.4 ± 0.4	2.7 ± 0.7	0.785
(mmol/L)	CON	2.2 ± 0.6	2.5 ± 0.5
Fasting glucose	LS	7.5 ± 1.3	6.2 ± 1.6	0.736
(mmol/L)	CON	7.4 ± 1.6	7.1 ± 2.3
Fasting insulin	LS	16.7 ± 4.3	13.4 ± 5.1	0.347
(μIU/mL)	CON	17.5 ± 8.7	18.3 ± 5.6
HOMA-IR	LS	2.4 ± 0.7	1.17 ± 0.6	0.232
	CON	2.3 ± 0.9	2.74 ± 0.7
L/S ratio	LS	0.8 ± 0.3	0.9 ± 0.2	0.894
	CON	0.7 ± 0.2	0.8 ± 0.3
VFA, cm2	LS	145.6 ± 38.7	132.0 ± 59.5	0.137
	CON	148.9 ± 39.4	149.2 ± 41.6
Metabolic syndrome	LS	371 (53.4)	142 (20.4)	0.026
(%)	CON	182 (53.2)	159 (46.8)

BMI: Body mass index; ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate transaminase; GGT: γ-glutamyltransferase; HOMA-IR: Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; VFA: Visceral fat area; L/S: Liver-spleen; CON: Control group; LS: Lifestyle intervention group.

Table 3 Change in physical and biochemical parameters after 12 mo of intervention

Variable	Group	Baseline	12 mo	P value1
Gender (M/F)	LS	431/243	431/243	1.754
	CON	215/117	215/117
Age (yr)	LS	38.7 ± 14.2	37.9 ± 12.3	0.896
	CON	37.5 ± 19.2	36.4 ± 17.2
Weight (kg)	LS	87.8 ± 17.8	81.7 ± 19.3	0.013
	CON	84.8 ± 21.3	86.1 ± 14.9
BMI (kg/m2)	LS	37.3 ± 15.4	26.6 ± 9.3	0.032
	CON	38.8 ± 17.5	37.4 ± 14.8
Waist circumference	LS	107.2 ± 22.6	98.7 ± 28.4	0.017
(cm)	CON	107.3 ± 15.6	112.6 ± 19.4
ALT (IU/L)	LS	59.5 ± 20.4	36.6 ± 16.9	0.002
	CON	58.6 ± 18.2	62.3 ± 20.3
AST (IU/L)	LS	57.9 ± 25.7	52.2 ± 13.5	0.726
	CON	58.8 ± 14.7	58.3 ± 11.9
GGT (IU/L)	LS	68.7 ± 18.8	57.4 ± 10.3	0.059
	CON	68.8 ± 11.7	69.1 ± 18.2
Cholesterol	LS	5.8 ± 0.8	4.3 ± 1.6	0.027
(mmol/L)	CON	5.9 ± 1.0	5.9 ± 2.1
Triglycerides	LS	2.3 ± 0.5	2.1 ± 0.5	0.859
(mmol/L)	CON	2.3 ± 0.6	2.8 ± 0.7
Fasting glucose	LS	7.4 ± 1.4	5.8 ± 1.4	0.615
(mmol/L)	CON	7.3 ± 1.7	7.1 ± 2.3
Fasting Insulin	LS	16.9 ± 4.2	12.4 ± 8.6	0.072
(μIU/mL)	CON	17.8 ± 8.9	21.5 ± 5.7
HOMA-IR	LS	2.5 ± 0.6	0.96 ± 0.5	0.041
	CON	2.4 ± 0.7	2.87 ± 0.6
L/S ratio	LS	0.8 ± 0.4	1.0 ± 0.2	0.214
	CON	0.7 ± 0.3	0.8 ± 0.3
VFA, cm2	LS	145.9 ± 37.6	124.3 ± 37.3	0.035
	CON	148.5 ± 39.2	164.5 ± 48.8
Metabolic syndrome	LS	366 (54.3)	112 (16.6)	0.017
(%)	CON	178 (53.6)	142 (42.8)

¹P value compares the mean difference between the baseline and post intervention changes in the variables between life intervention and control groups. Data as percentage or mean ± SE. Derived from stratified analysis of variance for repeated measures, Huynh–Feldt correction used as appropriate. BMI: Body mass index; ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate transaminase; GGT: γ-glutamyltransferase; HOMA-IR: Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; VFA: Visceral fat area; L/S: Liver-spleen; CON: Control group; LS: Lifestyle intervention group.