Table 1 Characteristics of study participants according to calf circumference quartiles

n

2212

2213

2212

2213

Male

513 (23.2)

620 (28.0)

748 (33.8)

954 (43.1)

<0.0001

Age (years)

56.5 ± 7.9

55.9 ± 7.9

56.1 ± 7.9

55.7 ± 8.0

0.003

Smoking, yes

316 (14.3)

361 (16.3)

389 (17.6)

458 (20.7)

<0.0001

Physical activity

0.45

Low

1588 (71.8)

1611 (72.8)

1568 (70.9)

1587 (71.7)

Moderate

453 (20.5)

427 (19.3)

471 (21.3)

436 (19.7)

High

171 (7.7)

175 (7.9)

173 (7.8)

90 (8.6)

Hypertension^a

918 (41.5)

991 (44.8)

1029 (46.5)

1199 (54.2)

<0.0001

Self-reported CHD^b

137 (6.2)

181 (8.2)

310 (14.0)

361 (16.3)

<0.0001

Self-reported stroke^c

62 (2.8)

82 (3.7)

102 (4.6)

175 (7.9)

<0.0001

Metabolic syndrome

911 (41.2)

1087 (49.1)

1259 (56.9)

1542 (69.7)

<0.0001

BMI (kg/m2)

22.8 ± 3.2

23.9 ± 2.9

24.9 ± 2.9

26.9 ± 7.6

<0.0001

Waist circumference (cm)

79.1 ± 11.8

82.0 ± 13.7

85.0 ± 10.8

89.8 ± 11.5

<0.0001

Fasting glucose (mmol/l)

6.25 ± 1.84

6.25 ± 1.70

6.28 ± 1.57

6.35 ± 1.67

1.12

2-h glucose (mmol/l)

8.57 ± 4.17

8.55 ± 3.83

8.71 ± 3.81

9.03 ± 3.82

<0.0001

A1C (%)

5.9 ± 1.1

5.9 ± 1.0

6.0 ± 0.9

6.1 ± 1.0

<0.0001

Fasting insulin (μU/ml)^d

5.5 (4.0-7.6)

6.4 (4.6-8.6)

6.8 (5.0-9.4)

7.9 (5.7-10.9)

<0.0001

HOMA-IR^e

1.51 (1.13-2.22)

1.72 (1.26-2.48)

1.85 (1.34-2.71)

2.26 (1.55-3.20)

<0.0001

ALT (U/L)

15.1 ± 11.0

16.2 ± 12.2

17.5 ± 14.0

19.6 ± 14.9

<0.0001

AST (U/L)

20.1 ± 9.3

20.4 ± 9.7

20.9 ± 12.4

21.3 ± 10.6

<0.0001

γ-GT (U/L)

25.4 ± 39.1

28.1 ± 34.7

30.2 ± 44.2

33.6 ± 35.8

<0.0001

Triglycerides (mmol/l)

1.21 (0.88-1.80)

1.31 (0.94-1.94)

1.38 (0.97-2.05)

1.52 (1.08-2.27)

<0.0001

HDL cholesterol (mmol/l)

1.31 ± 0.34

1.24 ± 0.31

1.21 ± 0.31

1.16 ± 0.28

<0.0001

CRP (μg/ml)

5.13 ± 6.74

4.82 ± 6.69

4.75 ± 5.59

5.31 ± 6.42

0.53

IL-6 (pg/ml)

1.02 (0.63–1.72)

1.04 (0.70-1.69)

1.01 (0.61-1.49)

1.08 (0.69-1.75)

0.14