*2.4. Assessment of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis*

NASH was calculated as indirect index by the ION according to the following formula: 1.33 waist to hip ratio + 0.03 × triacyclglycerols (mg/dL) + 0.18 × ALT (U/l) + 8.53 × HOMA − 13.93 for men; 0.02 × triacyclglycerols (mg/dL) + 0.24 × ALT (U/l) + 9.61 × HOMA − 13.99 for women. NASH was identified by an ION score of ≥50 [15].

#### *2.5. Statistical Analysis*

Data are presented as means ± standard deviation, frequencies and percentages, as appropriate. The *t*-test for independent samples was used to compare group means; for skewed variables, log transformed values were used. The χ<sup>2</sup> test vas used to compare frequencies. A *p*-value < 0.05, two-tailed, was considered significant and all analyses were conducted with the SPSS Statistics software 28.0 (SPSS/PC; IBM, Armonk, NY, USA).
