Blood and urine samples
BLOOD
Blood and urine samples were taken at 8:00 AM after a 12-h fast, at baseline, and after 18 months of intervention. The blood samples were centrifuged and stored at − 80 °C until DNA isolation using the NucleoSpin Blood L, Midi kit (Macherey–Nagel) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Body weight was measured without shoes to the nearest 0.1 kg.