The Association between Gamma-glutamyltransferase and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Male Workers

Background: Serum Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) has been used clinically as a marker for excessive alcohol consumption or liver diseases, but it was reported recently that GGT is associated with cardiovascular disease. This study was done to verify the association between GGT and the metabolic syndrome in Korean male workers. Methods: Total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, uric acid, and GGT were measured and liver US was performed in 1,215 male workers who underwent annual health check up in a university health promotion center from May to October 2003. The association of GGT with the metabolic syndrome was assessed. Results: The mean age of subjects was 41.9 7.2 years and the mean BMI was 24.1 2.7 kg/m(2). A raised GGT level (GGT >75 IU/L) was seen in 172 of 1,136 (15.1%) and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 9.9% (112/1,136). Individuals with the metabolic syndrome had a higher mean GGT concentration (53.4 IU/L) than individuals without the metabolic syndrome (34.4 IU/L; P< 0.001). The subjects with increased GGT showed more risk of metabolic syndrome than the subjects with normal GGT by multivariate analysis (OR=2.835). Subgroup analyses did not change the association between the GGT and the metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: This study showed that the serum GGT was associated with the metabolic syndrome and that increased GGT was another feature of the metabolic syndrome.