Table 3 Clinical characteristics in the AE and RE groups pre- and post-PSM

Unweighted N

3,847

1,983

1,864

2,920

1,460

1,460

Age (years)

47.15 ± 16.06

45.36 ± 15.22

49.11 ± 16.72

< 0.001**

51.17 ± 16.22

51.17 ± 16.22

51.17 ± 16.22

> 0.999

Sex (%)

< 0.001**

> 0.999

Male

56.5

49.7

63.8

51.6

51.6

51.6

Female

43.5

50.3

36.2

48.4

48.4

48.4

Educational status (%)

0.047*

0.165

Elementary school

7.8

7

8.8

11.6

12.9

10.4

Middle school

7.1

6.3

8

9.9

9.5

10.3

High school

37.5

37.6

37.3

35.4

35.6

35.1

College or University

47.6

49.1

46

43.1

42

44.2

Alcohol consumption (yes, %)

60.2

60.1

60.2

0.932

55.4

56.3

54.6

0.372

Smoking history (%)

< 0.001**

0.782

No

53.7

57.1

50.1

56.4

56.2

56.7

Current

18.2

19.3

17

16.4

16.9

16

Former

28.1

23.7

33

27.1

26.9

27.3

Household income status (%)

0.209

0.443

Low

12

10.8

13.2

15.1

15.8

14.5

Mid-low

21.8

21.9

21.7

23.4

23.8

23

Mid-high

29

30.1

27.8

27.7

28.1

27.3

High

37.2

37.2

37.2

33.8

32.4

35.1

Body mass index (%)

0.002**

< 0.001**

Underweight (< 18.5)

3.3

3.6

3

3.4

3.2

3.6

Normal (≥ 18.5 and < 25)

58.4

55.4

61.8

60.7

56

65.3

Obese (≥ 25)

38.3

41.1

35.2

35.9

40.8

31.1

WC (cm)

84.20 ± 10.66

84.37 ± 10.96

84.01 ± 10.32

0.377

84.12 ± 10.47

85.17 ± 10.57

83.07 ± 10.27

< 0.001**

Mean BP (mmHg)

89.55 ± 10.47

89.73 ± 10.88

89.34 ± 10.01

0.299

90.03 ± 10.50

90.87 ± 10.90

89.19 ± 10.02

< 0.001**

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

193.41 ± 38.03

195.59 ± 38.59

191.02 ± 37.26

0.001**

193.13 ± 38.94

194.62 ± 40.03

191.65 ± 37.78

0.039*

TG (mg/dL)

129.74 ± 116.10

131.58 ± 123.47

127.73 ± 107.46

0.356

129.82 ± 124.49

133.70 ± 134.29

125.95 ± 113.77

0.093

HDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)

52.61 ± 13.06

53.22 ± 13.21

51.95 ± 12.86

0.008**

52.91 ± 13.27

53.01 ± 13.36

52.82 ± 13.18

0.701

LDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)

116.37 ± 33.68

117.64 ± 34.00

114.98 ± 33.27

0.03*

115.81 ± 34.21

116.43 ± 35.12

115.19 ± 33.27

0.325

Glucose (mg/dL)

99.67 ± 20.31

99.80 ± 21.52

99.52 ± 18.90

0.693

100.80 ± 21.43

102.05 ± 22.89

99.54 ± 19.80

0.002**

Insulin (IU/L)

8.83 ± 6.42

9.06 ± 6.42

8.57 ± 6.40

0.039*

8.66 ± 6.57

8.86 ± 6.24

8.45 ± 6.89

0.093

HOMR-IR

2.24 ± 1.90

2.30 ± 1.91

2.18 ± 1.89

0.091

2.22 ± 1.98

2.29 ± 1.89

2.16 ± 2.07

0.064

HbA1c (%)

5.72 ± 0.74

5.72 ± 0.79

5.71 ± 0.69

0.739

5.78 ± 0.75

5.83 ± 0.79

5.74 ± 0.70

0.001**

TyG Index

8.56 ± 0.66

8.57 ± 0.66

8.55 ± 0.65

0.459

8.57 ± 0.65

8.61 ± 0.65

8.53 ± 0.64

< 0.001**

AST (IU/L)

25.33 ± 17.50

24.82 ± 13.60

25.88 ± 20.94

0.145

25.30 ± 15.45

25.24 ± 12.10

25.35 ± 18.20

0.857

ALT (IU/L)

24.85 ± 20.54

24.83 ± 19.38

24.88 ± 21.74

0.958

23.94 ± 18.53

24.36 ± 17.60

23.52 ± 19.42

0.223

WBC (× 10³/µL)

6.10 ± 1.63

6.17 ± 1.64

6.03 ± 1.60

0.031*

6.03 ± 1.61

6.15 ± 1.64

5.91 ± 1.57

< 0.001**

MetS (yes, %)

25.2

26.1

24.1

0.198

26.6

30

23.2

< 0.001**

HTN (yes, %)

53.1

51.8

54.6

0.14

57.3

60.1

54.5

0.002**

DM (yes, %)

51.6

50.9

52.2

0.522

56.8

58.8

54.7

0.028*

Dyslipidemia (yes, %)

33.2

33.5

32.9

0.748

36.1

38.5

33.6

0.007**