Table 1 Baseline characteristics stratified by serum albumin groups

Number

31

355

632

345

Albumin range (g/dL)

3.2–3.9

4.0–4.3

4.4–4.6

4.7–5.3

Albumin (g/dL)

3.8 ± 0.1

4.2 ± 0.1

4.5 ± 0.1

4.8 ± 0.1

< 0.001

Age (years)

79.8 ± 8.8

72.7 ± 11.4

67.8 ± 10.9

65.4 ± 10.5

< 0.001

Sex (%males)

15 (48.4)

148 (41.7)

251 (39.7)

136 (39.4)

0.722

Body mass index (kg/m²)

22.3 ± 3.4

23.2 ± 3.7

23.1 ± 3.4

22.9 ± 3.5

0.486

Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)

138 ± 24

136 ± 20

139 ± 21

141 ± 21

0.025

Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)

71 ± 11

77 ± 11

80 ± 11

83 ± 12

< 0.001

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

170 ± 31

199 ± 32

210 ± 36

221 ± 36

< 0.001

HDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)

52 ± 12

60 ± 15

65 ± 16

70 ± 20

< 0.001

LDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)

101 ± 27

119 ± 28

126 ± 31

131 ± 31

< 0.001

Triglycerides (mg/dL)^a (range)

95 (43–199)

105 (30–530)

104 (27–878)

108 (31–996)

0.467

AST (IU/L)

23.5 ± 7.5

23.8 ± 9.4

24.0 ± 10.5

25.2 ± 9.0

0.205

ALT (IU/L)

17.6 ± 10.2

18.9 ± 11.6

20.3 ± 11.5

23.4 ± 16.4

< 0.001

γ-GTP (IU/L)

26.6 ± 30.8

31.6 ± 46.0

31.4 ± 31.1

38.0 ± 38.1

0.036

eGFR (ml/min/1.73m²)

60.8 ± 23.8

66.3 ± 17.8

70.0 ± 15.7

71.9 ± 14.5

< 0.001

Uric acid (mg/dL)

5.2 ± 1.3

5.3 ± 1.4

5.3 ± 1.3

5.4 ± 1.4

0.415

HbA_1c (%) (NGSP)

5.8 ± 0.7

5.8 ± 0.6

5.7 ± 0.5

5.8 ± 0.6

0.248

Alcohol intake (%yes)

11 (35.5)

142 (40.0)

304 (48.1)

183 (53.0)

0.003

Current smoking (%yes)

0 (0.0)

36 (10.1)

57 (9.0)

48 (14.0)

0.022

Medications

 Hypertension (%yes)

14 (45.2)

142 (40.0)

230 (36.5)

122 (35.5)

0.455

 Hyperlipidemia (%yes)

10 (32.3)

76 (21.7)

164 (26.4)

91 (26.8)

0.253

 Diabetes (%yes)

5 (16.1)

34 (9.6)

59 (9.4)

40 (11.6)

0.471

MMSE (score)

26.6 ± 4.2

27.8 ± 2.8

28.5 ± 2.1

28.8 ± 1.8

< 0.001

Grip (kg)

24.2 ± 8.2

25.7 ± 8.9

28.5 ± 9.1

29.3 ± 9.2

< 0.001

Walk (sec)

6.1 ± 1.9

5.6 ± 1.6

5.1 ± 1.2

4.9 ± 1.1

< 0.001

Hs-CRP (mg/dL) ^a(range)

0.129 (0.003–5.370)

0.064 (0.003–6.530)

0.045 (0.002–1.770)

0.039 (0.003–3.830)

< 0.001

Growth hormone (mg/dL) ^a(range)

1.40 (0.12–8.63)

0.87 (0.03–18.5)

0.73 (0.03–12.7)

0.61 (0.03–13.7)

< 0.001

IGF-1 (mg/dL) ^a(range)

80.8 (20–241)

88.8 (31–233)

96.8 (43–216)

102.3 (40–223)

< 0.001

Calcium (mg/dL)

9.0 ± 0.32

9.34 ± 0.32

9.56 ± 0.32

9.83 ± 0.30

< 0.001

Magnesium (mg/dL)

2.13 ± 0.21

2.19 ± 0.16

2.20 ± 0.16

2.25 ± 0.17

< 0.001

Iron (μg/dL)

72.5 ± 27.2

90.7 ± 33.4

99.9 ± 34.3

108.1 ± 35.2

< 0.001

Zinc (μg/dL)

60.8 ± 12.9

67.1 ± 10.6

73.8 ± 10.7

79.4 ± 12.2

< 0.001

Phosphorus (mg/dL)

3.37 ± 0.64

3.49 ± 0.51

3.51 ± 0.48

3.58 ± 0.45

0.025

Total IMT (mm)

0.82 ± 0.26

0.76 ± 0.28

0.71 ± 0.18

0.69 ± 0.16

< 0.001