A structured and detailed survey designed by professional physicians was used to collect the demographic and clinical parameters of the study subjects including self-reported illness and the currently used medications. The number of subjects in the smoking and alcohol consumption groups were low among early postmenopausal women, and were therefore excluded from analysis. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured using an electronic brachial sphygmomanometer (T30J, OMRON, Japan). Anthropometric parameters including height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were measured using standard procedures by well-trained nurses. Blood samples (8–10 mL) were collected from the antecubital vein after at least 8 h of overnight fasting and evaluated in the laboratory center within 24 h. Metabolic biomarkers and liver function parameters including fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TGs), total cholesterol (TC), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum uric acid (UA), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were measured. Furthermore, the blood counts of white blood cells (WBC) and neutrophils (NE) were also analyzed. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed using the SIEMENS ACUSON S2000 ABVS ultrasound scanner (Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany), and was operated by experienced ultra-sonographers. The data was recorded in the electronic medical system of the Health Examination Center.