Table 1 Characteristics of patients with thyroid nodules

No. of patients (%)

1,998 (100.0)

541 (27.1)

1,457 (72.9)

Age (years)

46 (34, 55)

52 (44, 60)

43 (33, 52)

 < 0.001

Male, n (%)

521 (26.1)

129 (23.8)

392 (26.9)

0.169

BMI (kg/m²)

23.57 (21.37, 25.78)

23.80 (21.49, 25.65)

23.51 (21.33, 25.78)

0.329

SBP (mmHg)

126 (116, 137)

128 (118, 139)

125 (115, 136)

 < 0.001

DBP (mmHg)

77 (70, 84)

77 (70, 84)

77 (70, 84)

0.694

FPG (mmol/L)

4.46 (4.19, 4.82)

4.55 (4.28, 4.88)

4.44 (4.16, 4.79)

 < 0.001

TC (mmol/L)

4.18 (3.65, 4.74)

4.21 (3.62, 4.79)

4.17 (3.66, 4.72)

0.663

TG (mmol/L)

1.07 (0.75, 1.56)

1.06 (0.76, 1.53)

1.07 (0.74, 1.58)

0.736

HDL-C (mmol/L)

1.16 (0.97, 1.39)

1.19 (0.99, 1.42)

1.15 (0.96, 1.38)

0.004

LDL-C (mmol/L)

2.41 (1.99, 2.89)

2.44 (1.99, 2.88)

2.40 (2.00, 2.89)

0.956

History of exposure to ionizing radiation, n (%)

46 (2.3)

5 (0.9)

41 (2.8)

0.011

Family history of thyroid cancer, n (%)

89 (4.5)

16 (3.0)

73 (5.0)

0.051

TgAb (IU/mL)

11.36 (10.00, 35.83)

10.60 (10.00, 16.25)

11.88 (10.00, 60.95)

 < 0.001

TPOAb (IU/mL)

17.20 (11.60, 26.20)

16.90 (11.85, 23.30)

17.50 (11.42, 28.47)

0.060

FT3 (pmol/L)

4.94 (4.57, 5.35)

4.95 (4.58, 5.32)

4.93 (4.56, 5.35)

0.614

FT4 (pmol/L)

16.79 (15.20, 18.58)

16.80 (15.09, 18.72)

16.75 (15.20, 18.51)

0.873

TSH (mIU/L)

2.35 (1.56, 3.52)

1.95 (1.22, 3.13)

2.46 (1.69, 3.72)

 < 0.001

TSHI

3.12 (2.68, 3.55)

2.93 (2.47, 3.38)

3.19 (2.77, 3.59)

 < 0.001

TT4RI

39.14 (26.04, 59.37)

32.77 (20.70, 50.77)

41.25 (28.29, 62.21)

 < 0.001

TFQI

0.01 (-0.24, 0.24)

-0.06 (-0.31, 0.15)

0.03 (-0.21, 0.27)

 < 0.001

PTFQI

0.05 (-0.20, 0.34)

-0.02 (-0.29, 0.22)

0.09 (-0.15, 0.38)

 < 0.001

FT3/FT4

0.30 (0.27, 0.33)

0.30 (0.26, 0.33)

0.30 (0.27, 0.33)

0.989

Use of levothyroxine, n (%)

67 (3.4)

21 (3.9)

46 (3.2)

0.510

Use of anti-thyroid drugs, n (%)

11 (0.6)

3 (0.6)

8 (0.5)

1.000