| Variables | Whole study cohort | Potassium levels, mmol/L | p-value | Iron levels, µmol/L | p-value | ||||
| 1st tertile (<4.3) | 2nd tertile (4.4 - 4.8) | 3rd tertile (>4.8) | 1st tertile (<13.6) | 2nd tertile (13.7 - 18.8) | 3rd tertile (>18.8) | ||||
| n (%) | 134 (100.0) | 47 (35.1) | 48 (35.8) | 39 (29.1) | - | 45 (33.6) | 43 (32.1) | 46 (34.3) | - |
| Age, years | 39.4 (7.8) | 41.0 (7.3) | 39.0 (8.0) | 37.9 (7.9 | 0.171 | 39.3 (7.1) | 39.3 (8.3) | 39.4 (7.8) | 0.986 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.5 (3.9) | 23.6 (4.2) | 23.8 (3.6) | 23.2 (3.8) | 0.738 | 22.7 (3.4) | 24.2 (3.9) | 23.8 (4.2) | 0.164 |
| SBP, mmHg | 134.2 (18.8) | 136.4 (21.1) | 133.4 (17.2) | 132.5 (17.9) | 0.601 | 129.3 (15.4) | 134.3 (17.7) | 138.9 (21.7) | 0.049 |
| DBP, mmHg | 84.7 (13.2) | 85.2 (15.7) | 84.2 (11.8) | 84.9 (11.7) | 0.925 | 83.2 (11.7) | 84.7 (13.0) | 86.3 (14.7) | 0.539 |
| Creatinine, mg/L | 11.5 (1.3) | 11.2 (1.3) | 11.6 (1.3) | 12.0 (1.2) | 0.015 | 11.5 (1.3) | 11.6 (1.3) | 11.7 (1.5) | 0.746 |
| CRP, mg/L | 3.3 (5.2) | 4.5 (5.0) | 3.0 (4.6) | 2.2 (1.8) | 0.117 | 4.2 (6.7) | 2.9 (2.8) | 2.9 (4.8) | 0.374 |
| ALP, UI/L | 66.5 (20.6) | 73.4 (21.2) | 63.8 (19.7) | 61.1 (18.8) | 0.012 | 70.0 (23.6) | 63.7 (18.7) | 66.0 (19.2) | 0.362 |
| ALT, UI/L | 12.7 (6.1) | 15.0 (7.6) | 12.0 (4.5) | 10.9 (4.9) | 0.050 | 12.8 (6.0) | 11.9 (5.3) | 13.5 (6.9) | 0.450 |
| AST, UI/L | 33.3 (14.4) | 36.5 (19.8) | 31.8 (11.2) | 31.4 (11.2) | 0.175 | 33.0 (18.1) | 31.7 (9.3) | 35.2 (14.4) | 0.499 |
| Glucose, mmol/L | 4.2 (0.6) | 4.2 (0.7) | 4.2 (0.6) | 4.1 (0.6) | 0.492 | 4.2 (0.6) | 4.2 (0.6) | 4.2 (0.7) | 0.879 |
| Insulin, µU/mL | 26.6 (20.9) | 27.9 (22.2) | 22.8 (13.6) | 26.6 (25.8) | 0.250 | 30.2 (23.6) | 24.9 (16.7) | 24.8 (21.5) | 0.378 |
| HOMA-IR | 5.1 (4.6) | 5.6 (5.7) | 4.5 (3.3) | 5.5 (4.6) | 0.451 | 5.6 (4.4) | 4.8 (3.4) | 5.0 (5.57) | 0.667 |
| Insulin resistance, n (%) | 33 (24.6) | 13 (39.4) | 9 (27.3) | 11 (33.3) | 0.498 | 13 (39.4) | 10 (30.3) | 10 (30.3) | 0.708 |
| TC, mmol/L | 4.3 (0.9) | 4.2 (1.0) | 4.2 (0.8) | 4.6 (1.0) | 0.142 | 4.2 (0.8) | 4.3 (0.9) | 4.4 (1.1) | 0.551 |
| TG, mmol/L | 0.8 (0.4) | 0.9 (0.5) | 0.8 (0.3) | 0.8 (0.3) | 0.241 | 0.7 (0.3) | 0.8 (0.4) | 0.9 (0.5) | 0.031 |
| HDL-C, mmol/L | 1.3 (0.4) | 1.3 (0.5) | 1.3 (0.3) | 1.4 (0.3) | 0.296 | 1.3 (0.3) | 1.3 (0.3) | 1.4 (0.5) | 0.466 |
| LDL-C, mmol/L | 2.6 (0.8) | 2.5 (0.8) | 2.5 (0.7) | 2.8 (0.8) | 0.136 | 2.6 (0.6) | 2.6 (0.8) | 2.6 (0.9) | 0.992 |
| TC > 5.2 mmol/L, n (%) | 23 (17.2) | 8 (34.8) | 6 (26.1) | 9 (39.1) | 0.429 | 4 (17.4) | 6 (26.1) | 13 (56.5) | 0.039 |
| HDL-C < 0.9 mmol/L, n (%) | 12 (9.0) | 10 (83.3) | 2 (16.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0.001 | 5 (41.7) | 3 (25.0) | 4 (33.3) | 0.792 |
| Dyslipidemia*, n (%) | 39 (29.1) | 20 (51.3) | 9 (23.1) | 10 (25.6) | 0.033 | 11 (28.2) | 9 (23.1) | 19 (48.7) | 0.075 |
| Uric acid, µmol/L | 350.9 (68.2) | 342.2 (63.1) | 362.2 (70.1) | 347.4 (71.5) | 0.337 | 338.1 (60.3) | 360.6 (68.3) | 354.3 (74.6) | 0.278 |
| Iron, µmol/L | 16.7 (6.4) | 17.2 (6.8) | 16.7 (5.4) | 16.2 (7.0) | 0.785 | 10.4 (3.4) | 16.2 (1.4) | 23.3 (4.6) | <0.001 |
| Potassium, mmol/L | 5.6 (4.1) | 4.0 (0.3) | 4.6 (0.2) | 8.8 (6.6) | <0.001 | 6.5 (6.4) | 5.0 (2.1) | 5.2 (2.0) | 0.173 |
| Alcohol intake, n (%) | 51 (38.1) | 20 (39.2) | 20 (39.2) | 11 (21.6) | 0.321 | 12 (23.5) | 20 (39.2) | 19 (37.3) | 0.136 |