Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase is associated with arterial stiffness in healthy individuals

Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) has been reported to be useful in predicting cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is not only a marker of vascular damage but a significant predictor of cardiovascular events. Gender difference has been reported in the association between GGT and baPWV. We assessed, therefore, the association between GGT and baPWV in a large population and determined whether there was gender difference.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Asan Medical Centre, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Serum GGT, baPWV and conventional risk factors were measured in 10 988 apparently healthy subjects (7248 men, 3740 women) who participated in a routine health screening examination.

In both men and women, we observed positive linearity between GGT quartiles and body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score (P for trends < 0·001). The proportion of individuals with diabetes, hypertension increased as the GGT quartile increased (P for trends < 0·001). Age-adjusted mean baPWV increased gradually in both males and females according to GGT quartiles (P for trends < 0·001 in both genders). The odds for higher baPWV (i.e. >75th percentile in each sex) were significantly higher in the highest compared with the lowest GGT quartiles, after adjustment for confounding variables, in both men [odds ratio (OR) = 1·63, 95% CI = 1·21-2·20] and women (OR = 1·56, 95% CI = 1·08-2·27).

These results suggest that GGT is independently associated with the increased level of arterial stiffness both in men and in women and the association between them appears to be stronger in men compared to women.