Serum Gamma-Glutamyltransferase is Associated with Impaired Fasting Glucose in Chinese Adults: The Cardiometabolic Risk in Chinese (CRC) Study

Recently, several studies found raised serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and traditional marker of liver damage was associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between GGT and impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and evaluate the modification effects of age, BMI, prehypertension, and lipids in a large sample of Chinese adults. The study samples are from a community-based health examination survey in China. The sample for our analysis included 7,309 participants. IFG was defined as FBG from 6.1 to 7.0 mmol/L. Serum GGT, lipids, blood pressure, and glucose were measured. The odds ratios (ORs, 95 % CI) of IFG across increasing quintiles of GGT were 1.00, 0.91 (0.49-1.72), 1.27 (0.68-2.38), 2.31 (1.29-4.15), and 2.42 (1.32-4.42) (P for trend < 0.0001), adjusting for age, sex, BMI, blood pressure, glucose, and lipids. We found significant interactions between age, BMI, and GGT on IFG risk. When the joint effects were examined, we found an additional effect of triglycerides (TG) and GGT levels on IFG. Our data indicate that serum GGT concentration was associated with the risk of IFG, and the association was modified by TG level.