Objectively measured sedentary time, physical activity and liver enzyme elevations in US Hispanics/Latinos

Sedentariness and physical inactiveness are associated with deleterious health outcomes, but their associations with liver enzyme elevations remain uncertain.

In 10 385 US Hispanics/Latinos from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we examined associations of sedentary time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured by accelerometers with liver enzyme elevations. Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were defined as the highest gender-specific deciles. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using weighted Poisson regressions.

After adjusting for demographical/socioeconomic factors and MVPA, increasing quartiles of sedentary time were associated with a higher prevalence of elevated ALT (PRs [95% CI] = 1.0, 1.17 [0.92-1.47], 1.21 [0.96, 1.53] and 1.51 [1.13-2.02]; P-trend = .007) and elevated GGT (PRs [95% CI] = 1.0, 1.06 [0.82-1.36], 1.35 [1.06-1.73] and 1.66 [1.27-2.16]; P-trend = .0001). These associations were attenuated but remained significant after further adjustment for cardiometabolic traits including body-mass index, waist-hip-ratio, lipids and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. In contrast, increasing quartiles of MVPA were associated with a lower prevalence of elevated ALT (PRs [95% CI] =1.0, 0.97 [0.77-1.23], 0.84 [0.66-1.06] and 0.72 [0.54-0.96]; P-trend = .01) after adjusting for demographical/socioeconomic factors and sedentary time, but this association became non-significant after further adjustment for cardiometabolic traits. Notably, the association of sedentary time with GGT elevation was significant both in individuals meeting the US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (MVPA ≥150 minutes/week) and in those who did not (both P-trend ≤ .003).

Our findings suggest that objectively measured sedentary time is independently associated with elevated ALT and GGT in US Hispanics/Latinos.