Table 1 Clinical features of the recruited subjects

Serum CEA (ng/mL) (range)

2.93 ± 1.65 (0.33–9.72)

1.34 ± 0.31 (0.33–1.73)

2.15 ± 0.24 (1.74–2.54)

3.04 ± 0.33 (2.55–3.70)

5.24 ± 1.48 (3.72–9.72)

–

–

lnCEA

0.93 ± 0.54

0.26 ± 0.29

0.76 ± 0.11

1.11 ± 0.11

1.62 ± 0.25

–

–

n

402

101

100

102

99

–

–

Age (year)

51.6 ± 9.0

48.3 ± 8.0

51.8 ± 8.2

53.3 ± 9.2

53.1 ± 9.7

16.213^a

< 0.001

Female, n(%)

161 (40.0)

51 (50.5)

44 (44.0)

36 (35.3)

30 (30.3)

9.995^b

0.002

BMI (kg/m²)

25.0 ± 3.2

25.1 ± 2.9

25.3 ± 3.3

25.1 ± 3.0

24.6 ± 3.6

1.585^a

0.209

SBP (mmHg)

132.7 ± 16.5

130.0 ± 15.3

131.2 ± 14.4

135.6 ± 17.7

133.9 ± 17.9

4.995^a

0.026

DBP (mmHg)

79.5 ± 10.5

80.0 ± 10.2

79.2 ± 10.7

79.6 ± 10.6

79.1 ± 10.8

0.223^a

0.637

Diabetes duration (year)

5.0 (1.0–10.0)

4.0 (1.0–8.0)

5.0 (1.3–10.0)

6.0 (1.0–10.0)

5.0 (1.0–10.0)

1.092^b

0.275

Antidiabetic treatments

 Drug naive, n (%)

43 (10.7)

10 (9.9)

8 (8.0)

15 (14.7)

10 (10.1)

0.288^c

0.592

 Insulin, n (%)

170 (42.3)

36 (35.6)

38 (38.0)

46 (45.1)

50 (50.5)

5.455^c

0.020

 Secretagogues, n (%)

175 (43.5)

33 (32.7)

47 (47.0)

51 (50.0)

44 (44.4)

3.042^c

0.081

 Metformin, n (%)

195 (48.5)

52 (51.5)

48 (48.0)

46 (45.1)

49 (49.5)

0.164^c

0.686

 TZDs, n (%)

73 (18.2)

19 (18.8)

20 (20.0)

19 (18.6)

15 (15.2)

0.505^c

0.477

 AGIs, n (%)

55 (13.7)

14 (13.9)

15 (15.0)

17 (16.7)

9 (9.1)

0.654^c

0.419

 DPP-4Is, n (%)

60 (14.9)

15 (14.9)

17 (17.0)

14 (13.7)

14 (14.1)

0.115^c

0.735

 SGLT-2Is, n (%)

17 (4.2)

8 (7.9)

5 (5.0)

3 (2.9)

1 (1.0)

6.413^c

0.011

 GLP-1RAs, n (%)

32 (8.0)

7 (6.9)

12 (12.0)

9 (8.8)

4 (4.0)

0.928^c

0.335

Hypertension, n (%)

148 (36.8)

36 (35.6)

30 (30.0)

42 (41.2)

40 (40.4)

1.390^c

0.238

Alcohol consumption, n (%)

99 (24.6)

22 (21.8)

21 (21.0)

26 (25.5)

30 (30.3)

2.414^c

0.120

Statins uses, n (%)

121 (30.1)

25 (24.8)

30 (30.0)

44 (43.1)

22 (22.2)

0.091^c

0.763

ALT (U/L)

20 (13–28)

18 (12–28)

20 (13–28)

20 (13–30)

18 (13–24)

− 0.239^b

0.811

TBI (μmol/L)

10.3 (7.6–13.3)

10.8 (7.9–13.7)

9.6 (7.5–11.9)

11.0 (7.7–15.2)

11.0 (7.5–13.2)

− 0.389^b

0.697

Albumin (g/L)

38.7 ± 3.7

39.6 ± 3.5

38.6 ± 3.1

38.6 ± 4.2

38.1 ± 3.7

7.231^a

0.007

TG (mmol/L)

1.65 (1.03–2.52)

1.47 (0.97–2.54)

1.72 (1.05–2.38)

1.72 (1.03–2.69)

1.47 (1.05–2.59)

0.180^b

0.857

TC (mmol/L)

4.36 ± 0.97

4.45 ± 1.01

4.32 ± 0.95

4.41 ± 0.94

4.26 ± 0.97

1.115^a

0.292

HDLC (mmol/L)

1.23 ± 0.55

1.16 ± 0.30

1.12 ± 0.24

1.16 ± 0.30

1.23 ± 0.55

2.185^a

0.140

LDLC (mmol/L)

2.71 ± 0.84

2.87 ± 0.92

2.67 ± 0.82

2.63 ± 0.85

2.69 ± 0.80

2.230^a

0.129

UA (μmol/L)

297 ± 89

289 ± 91

292 ± 88

314 ± 89

293 ± 86

0.682^a

0.409

eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m²)

121 ± 34

124 ± 41

125 ± 35

115 ± 30

118 ± 28

2.234^a

0.136

Fasting C-peptide (ng/mL)

1.41 (0.85–2.19)

1.78 (1.11–2.19)

1.44 (0.91–2.25)

1.30 (0.81–2.46)

1.05 (0.67–1.75)

− 3.328^b

0.001

Fasting glucagon (pg/mL)

148.0 (113.3–201.9)

151.1 (115.1–205.8)

152.3 (120.3–210.7)

146.0 (111.8–188.7)

146.8 (132.3–201.1)

− 0.437^b

0.662

HbA1c (%)

8.09 ± 1.16

7.68 ± 1.01

7.98 ± 1.18

8.29 ± 1.15

8.41 ± 1.21

24.407^a

< 0.001

Composite Z-score of latency

0.03 ± 0.60

− 0.20 ± 0.51

− 0.05 ± 0.56

0.18 ± 0.65

0.20 ± 0.64

29.125^a

< 0.001

Composite Z-score of amplitude

− 0.03 ± 0.66

0.19 ± 0.66

0.002 ± 0.64

− 0.09 ± 0.69

− 0.22 ± 0.66

20.560^a

< 0.001

Composite Z-score of NCV

− 0.03 ± 0.75

0.25 ± 0.63

0.05 ± 0.64

− 0.13 ± 0.77

− 0.32 ± 0.79

17.985^a

< 0.001

DPN, n (%)

102 (25.4)

13 (12.9)

19 (19.0)

30 (29.4)

40 (40.4)

22.767^c

< 0.001