title: [Association between gamma-glutamyltransferase and hypertension incidence in rural prehypertensive adults].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prehypertension is associated with a higher risk of developing hypertension compared with normotension. Yet, factors predicting the development of hypertension among prehypertensive people are ill-understood. This prospective cohort study was performed to examine if serum gamma-glutamyltrasferase (GGT) within a normal range can predict the future risk of hypertension among prehypertensive adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study subjects were 293 prehypertensive persons >30-years-of-age who participated in a community-based health survey in 2003 and who were followed up in 2008. Sex-specific quartiles of baseline serum GGT were used to examine association with 5-year hypertension incidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline serum GGT within normal range predicted the risk of developing hypertension for 5 years only in prehypertensive women. Adjusted relative risks were 1.0, 3.7, 3.6, and 6.0 according to quartiles of baseline serum GGT (P for trend <0.01). This pattern was similarly observed in non-drinkers. However, serum GGT was not associated with incident hypertension in men. Different from serum GGT, baseline serum alanine aminotransferase, another well-known liver enzyme, did not predict the risk of incident hypertension in both genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though baseline serum GGT within normal range strongly predicted the future risk of hypertension, it was observed only in women, Although underlying mechanisms of this association are currently unclear, serum GGT can be used to select a high risk group of hypertension in prehypertensive women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Ji Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Byung yeol
authors.initials: By
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Duk Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Keon Yeop
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wee Hyun
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Shung chull
authors.initials: Sc
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase