title: Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase and mortality in persons undergoing coronary angiography-The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) seems to be a predictor for coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationship between GGT and total as well as cardiovascular mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of GGT were determined in 2556 subjects with and 699 subjects without angiographic evidence of CAD in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum GGT was positively associated with male gender, alcohol consumption and markers of the metabolic syndrome (triglycerides, blood pressure, waist circumference and insulin resistance). It was positively related to aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and negatively related to glutathione and increased age. During a mean follow-up period of 7.75 years, 754 subjects died. Compared with subjects in the lowest quartile of GGT, the unadjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) for all-cause death were 1.2 (0.9-1.5), 1.4 (1.1-1.8) and 1.9 (1.5-2.3), respectively, in other GGT quartiles. Hazard ratios (CI) for death from cardiovascular causes were 1.4 (1.0-2.0), 1.8 (1.4-2.5) and 2.2 (1.6-2.9). After adjustment for age, gender and cardiovascular risk factors GGT remained a significant predictor for total and cardiovascular mortality. In angiographic CAD the predictive value of GGT was also significant and similar to that in the entire cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum GGT is predictive of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in individuals with CAD independently of other cardiovascular risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, A-8036 Graz, Austria. tatjana.stojakovic@medunigraz.at
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stojakovic
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scharnagl
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trauner
authors.forename: Burkert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pieske
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wellnitz
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Seelhorst
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.forename: Bernhard R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Winkelmann
authors.forename: Bernhard O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: März
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase