Comparison of gamma-glutamyltransferase and other health screening tests in average middle-aged males, heavy drinkers and alcohol non-users

Abstract

Physical and biochemical health screening variables were compared in matched, middle-aged male samples of (a) ideological teetotallers, (b) average men, (c) self-reported alcohol abstainers, (d) low gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity, and (e-f) high GGT activity with or without admitted alcohol consumption background. The alcohol non-user groups and the individuals with low GGT had significantly lower mean values of relative body weight, pulse, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, haematocrit, serum urate, triglyceride, cholesterol, and zero and 120 min blood glucose than individuals with elevated GGT and alcohol overconsumption. The average men had intermediate levels. The frequency of increased values of the same tests was notably higher in the subjects with elevated GGT and heavy alcohol consumption than in the teetotallers and the other groups; and was lowest in the teetotallers.

The Impact of Alcohol on Health in the General Population: A Review with Particular Reference to Experience in Malmo

“…Physical and biochemical screening variables were compared in matched middle-aged male samples of ideological teetotalers, average drinkers, self-reported abstainers, men with low GGT activity and men with high GGT activity with or without a history of regular alcohol consumption. Those subjects who did not drink alcohol and individuals with low GGTs had significantly lower mean values for body weight, pulse, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, haematocrit, serum urate, triglyceride, cholesterol and fasting and 120 min blood glucose than individuals with elevated GGT and a history of excessive alcohol consumption [14]. There were two other general findings from these and other studies [15, 16, 17, 18 & 19].…”

Association Between γ‐Glutamyl Transpeptidase Activity and Status of Disorders Constituting Insulin Resistance Syndrome

“…Thus, it is easily conceivable that serum ␥GTP activity could be associated with the status of these disorders. Indeed, several reports mentioned positive associations between serum ␥GTP activity and the status of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Colloredo-Mels et al, 1988), hypertension (Peterson et al, 1983;Yamada et al, 1990), obesity (Nomura et al, 1986;Robinson and Whitehead, 1989), hyperlipidemia (Martin et al, 1976;Wannamethee et al, 1995), fatty liver (Allaway et al, 1988;Braun et al, 1985), and various components of metabolic syndrome (Rantala et al, 2000). The aim of this study was to verify the association between ␥GTP activity and status of the disorders constituting insulin resistance syndrome in Japanese subjects.…”

An Inverse Association between Serum Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase Activity and Breslow's Lifestyle Index; Its Practical Application for Screening of Subjects with Unhealthy Lifestyles

“…Recently, a relation between insulin resistance and serum γGTP activity has been highlighted. Multiple lines of evidence including our own suggest that serum γGTP activity is associated with the statuses of various morbid conditions of insulin resistance syndrome 23,25,26) , especially with those of type 2 diabetes mellitus 27,28) , hypertension 29,30) , hyperlipidemia 31) , fatty liver 32) and the insulin resistance level per se 33,34) . Meanwhile, we also found an inverse association between Breslow's index and the insulin resistance level in Japanese male subjects 11) .…”