2.5. Lipid Profile
TG
Participants underwent fasting (≥8 h) blood sampling for lipid profiles. Prior to blood draw, urine specific gravity (USG) was assessed by a light refractometer (Reichert™, Buffalo, NY, USA). In instances where USG > 1.025, participants were instructed to consume a minimum of 250 mL of water until they achieved proper hydration. Lipid profiles including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were acquired by fingerstick and analyzed using Cholestech LDX (Hayward, CA, USA). The Cholestech LDX has previously established good accuracy and precision in estimating whole-blood lipids and was used reliably as a point-of-care assessment for blood analyses in ambulatory settings [