Laboratory procedures
TG
Morning blood samples were taken after 8–12 h fasting. Triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) were measured. Normal values of laboratory data were considered as follows: serum cholesterol (<170 mg/dL is acceptable, 170–199 mg/dL is borderline and >200 mg/dL is high), serum LDL (<110 mg/dL is acceptable, 110–129 mg/dL is borderline and >130 mg/dL is high) and serum HDL (>45 mg/dL is acceptable, 40–45 mg/dL is borderline and <40 mg/dL is low).