Wine Information Council
12 may 2022
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Association of gamma-glutamyltransferase levels with total mortality, liver-related and cardiovascular outcomes: A prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank

BACKGROUND: Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels in the blood can be a sensitive marker of liver injury but the extent to which they give insight into risk across multiple outcomes in a clinically useful way remains uncertain.

METHODS: Using data from 293,667 UK Biobank participants, the relationship of GGT concentrations to self-reported alcohol intake and adiposity markers were investigated. We next investigated whether GGT predicted liver-related, cardiovascular (CV) or all-cause mortality, and potentially improved CV risk prediction.

FINDINGS: Higher alcohol intake and greater waist circumference (WC) were associated with higher GGT; the association was stronger for alcohol with evidence of a synergistic effect of WC. Higher GGT concentrations were associated with multiple outcomes. Compared to a GGT of 14.5 U/L (lowest decile), values of 48 U/L for women and 60 U/L for men (common upper limits of 'normal') had hazard ratios (HRs) for liver-related mortality of 1.83 (95% CI 1.60-2.11) and 3.25 (95% CI 2.38-4.42) respectively, for CV mortality of 1.21 (95% CI 1.14-1.28) and 1.43 (95% CI 1.27-1.60) and for all-cause mortality of 1.15 (95% CI 1.12-1.18) and 1.31 (95% CI 1.24-1.38). Adding GGT to a risk algorithm for CV mortality reclassified an additional 1.24% (95% CI 0.14-2.34) of participants across a binary 5% 10-year risk threshold.

INTERPRETATION: Our study suggests that a modest elevation in GGT levels should trigger a discussion with the individual to review diet and lifestyle including alcohol intake and consideration of formal liver disease and CV risk assessment if not previously done.

FUNDING: British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Grant (grant number RE/18/6/34217), NHS Research Scotland (grant number SCAF/15/02), the Medical Research Council (grant number MC_UU_00022/2); and the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (grant number SPHSU17).

Additional Info

  • Authors

    Ho F. K.; Ferguson L. D.; Celis-Morales C. A.; Gray S. R.; Forrest E.; Alazawi W.; Gill J. M.; Katikireddi S. V.; Cleland J. G.; Welsh P.; Pell J. P.; Sattar N.

  • Issue

    EClinicalMedicine . 2022 May 12;48:101435

  • Published Date

    12 may 2022

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