Gamma-glutamyltransferase, alcohol, and blood pressure. A four year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
We performed this study to see: 1) whether gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) was a predictor for hypertension irrespective of amount of alcohol consumption; and 2) whether the relationship between alcohol consumption and blood pressure (BP) was different depending on GGT.


METHODS
This study included 8170 healthy male workers in a steel manufacturing company who had undergone health examinations in both 1994 and 1998.


RESULTS
The adjusted relative risk (RR) for hypertension over four years among those with GGT >or=30 U/L at baseline was 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.4), compared to those with GGT < 30 U/L. This relationship was shown only in drinkers. Among subjects with GGT < 30U/L, no matter how much the subjects drank, the risk of hypertension in drinkers was similar with that of non-drinkers. However, among those with GGT >or=30 U/L, adjusted RRs for light, moderate, and heavy drinkers compared to non-drinkers were 1.4 (95% CI: 0.5-4.5), 5.2 (95% CI: 1.5-18.0), and 5.3 (95% CI: 1.0-27.6).


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that elevated GGT could be a predictor for hypertension in drinkers and the relationship between alcohol consumption and hypertension was shown only among those with GGT >or= 30 U/L at baseline. These findings suggest that increased serum GGT levels may reflect individual susceptibility to the blood pressure raising effect of alcohol.
Lee
Duk-Hee
DH
Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Kosin University, Pusan, South Korea.
Ha
Myung-Hwa
MH
Kim
Jang-Rak
JR
Gross
Myron
M
Jacobs
David R
DR
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase