title: Clinical implications in the prevalence and associated cardiovascular factors of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels among elderly agricultural and fishing population in Taipei, Taiwan: experience at a teaching hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the prevalence and associated factors related to an elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level among the elderly agricultural and fishing population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 6542 (3989 males and 2553 females) healthy adults voluntarily admitted to a teaching hospital for a physical checkup in 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan. Fasting blood samples were drawn via venipuncture, and clinical nurses interviewed the study participants using a structured questionnaire from.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of an elevated serum ALT level was 18.2% and revealed a statistically significant decrease with increasing age (P < 0.001). The men exhibited a higher prevalence than the women (19.7% vs 15.9%; P < 0.001). Male sex; younger age; and presence of obesity, hypertension, hyperuricemia, and hypoalbuminemia were significantly associated with an elevated serum ALT level. Sex-related differences were also revealed. For the men, type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.57), hypercholesterolemia (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.22-2.83), hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.04-1.73), and low high-density lipoprotein (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05-1.51) were significantly related to an elevated serum ALT level, but this was not so for the women. The disparity of ALT in age groups was revealed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several sex-related differences were indicated pertaining to the prevalence of an elevated serum ALT level among elderly specific occupational population.
authors.affiliation: From the *NHI Dispute Mediation Committee, Ministry of Health and Welfare; Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University; Department of Nursing, Kang-Ning Junior College of Medical Care and Management, Taipei, Taiwan; †College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University; New Taipei City Hospital; Oriental Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; ‡New Taipei City Hospital; Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of HealthCare Management, Yuanpei University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; §Faculty of Public Health, School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan; ∥Cheng Hsin General Hospital; Faculty of Public Health, School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hsi-Che
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Hui-Te
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tao-Hsin
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000383:Agriculture / Q000639:trends*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005398:Fisheries; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase