Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics according to baseline alanine aminotransferase level.

From: Low alanine aminotransferase levels are independently associated with mortality risk in patients with atrial fibrillation

Item

Patients in first tertile

(ALT ≤ 15 U/L), n = 1098

Patients in second tertile

(15 < ALT < 23 U/L), n = 1055

Patients in third tertile

(ALT ≥ 23 U/L), n = 1003

P value

Baseline clinical data

Age, y

74.7 ± 8.6

72.0 ± 9.0*

68.8 ± 9.4*†

< 0.001

Male, n (%)

747 (68.0)

777 (73.6)*

802 (79.9)*†

< 0.001

Body mass index, kg/m2

23.3 ± 3.5

23.9 ± 3.5*

24.9 ± 4.0*†

< 0.001

Body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2, n (%)

71 (6.5)

45 (4.3)*

32 (3.2)*

< 0.001

AF type

0.12

 Paroxysmal AF

412 (37.5)

389 (36.8)

360 (35.8)

–

 Persistent AF

238 (21.6)

221 (20.9)

247 (24.6)

–

 Long-standing persistent AF

433 (39.4)

440 (41.7)

388(38.6)

–

Comorbidities

Type 2 diabetes, n (%)

233 (21.2)

227 (21.5)

258 (25.7)*

0.025

Hypertension, n (%)

792 (72.1)

746 (70.7)

717 (71.4)

0.76

History of heart failure, n (%)

282 (25.6)

212 (20.0)*

205 (20.4)*

0.002

Vascular disease, n (%)

166 (15.1)

119 (11.2)*

103 (10.2)*

0.001

History of stroke/TIA, n (%)

126 (11.4)

124 (11.7)

101 (10.0)

0.43

CHADS2 score

1.9 ± 1.1

1.7 ± 1.1*

1.6 ± 1.1*

< 0.001

CHA2DS2-VASc score

3.3 ± 1.4

2.9 ± 1.4*

2.6 ± 1.4*†

< 0.001

Medications

Antiplatelet use

194 (17.6)

161 (15.2)

145 (14.4)

0.10

DOAC use

554 (50.4)

567 (53.7)

527 (52.5)

0.30

Warfarin use

544 (49.5)

488 (46.2)

476 (47.4)

0.30

Laboratory data

Hemoglobin, g/dL

13.0 ± 1.5

13.8 ± 1.5*

14.3 ± 1.6*†

< 0.001

Platelet count, × 103/μL

201 ± 56

200 ± 53

197 ± 52

0.24

Total cholesterol, mg/dL

182 ± 32

186 ± 31*

186 ± 32

0.029

Triglycerides, mg/dL

117 ± 67

136 ± 88*

157 ± 123*†

< 0.001

TCB index

1383 ± 1054

1689 ± 1278*

2141 ± 2625*†

< 0.001

AST, U/L

20 ± 4

24 ± 5*

35 ± 18*†

< 0.001

BUN, mg/dL

18 ± 8

17 ± 6

17 ± 7*†

< 0.001

CrCl, mL/min

59 ± 22

67 ± 23*

77 ± 29*†

< 0.001

  1. Values are shown as mean ± SD or number (%), unless otherwise indicated.
  2. For multiple comparisons, analysis of variance was used for symmetric continuous variables, the Kruskal–Wallis test was used for asymmetric continuous variables, and the Chi-squared test was used for categorical variables. All pairwise comparisons were performed with the Tukey–Kramer test for symmetric continuous variables, the Steel–Dwass test for asymmetric continuous variables, and the Chi-squared test with Bonferroni correction for categorical variables.
  3. *P < 0.05 vs first tertile, †P < 0.05 vs second tertile.
  4. AF atrial fibrillation, ALT alanine aminotransferase, AST aspartate aminotransferase, BUN blood urea nitrogen, CHADS2 congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes, and stroke, CHA2DS2-VASc congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes, stroke, vascular disease, age 65–74 years, and male, CrCl creatinine clearance, DOAC direct oral anticoagulant, TIA transient ischemic attack.
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