Clinical chemistry analyzer au700

After BP measurements, participants remained in the seated position and blood samples were drawn via venipuncture from a vein in the antecubital fossa using a disposable cannula (S-Monovette, Sarstedt, Nürmbrecht, Germany). After collection, blood samples were immediately processed and transported to the diagnostic laboratories of the University Hospital Erlangen for further analyses. Blood samples were used to determine serum concentrations of fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and liver biochemistry (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)), which were measured photometrically (Clinical Chemistry Analyzer AU700 or AU5800, Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA, USA), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and glycated hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) using turbidimetric immunoassays (Clinical Chemistry Analyzer AU700 or AU5800, Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA, USA, and COBAS Integra 400, Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany, respectively).