2.2. Measurements
TG
LIVER
During the study period, blood samples were taken twice: at the beginning of the study (visit 1) and at the end of the study (follow-up visit 2) to assess the serum levels of the total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT), alanine aminotransferase (SGPT), and creatine phosphokinase (CPK). Moreover, in visit 2, height and weight were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as the ratio of weight (in kilograms) to squared height (in meters). The serum lipids (TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C) were measured with an enzymatic colorimetric assay (Dimension Vista 500 System, Siemens, Munich, Germany). Liver enzymes consisting of alanine aminotransferase (SGPT), aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-gt), and creatine kinase (CPK) were measured using an enzymatic method (Dimension VistaThe study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Athens Medical Center General Hospital, Athens, Greece (IRB protocol:01122022/100).