Background & Objectives: To investigate the association between serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Methods: This study included 250 metabolic syndrome free men and 250 nondiabetic men aged 35–59 years who did not have medication for hepatitis, alanine aminotransferase (ALT). We used a customized National Cholesterol Education Program definition of metabolic syndrome with BMI instead of waist border.

Results: With alteration for age, family history of diabetes, BMI, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, regular physical activity (fasting plasma glucose for the risk of type 2 diabetes) the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes increased in association with the levels of serum GGT, ALT, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase. Additional modification for all of the other liver enzymes attenuated these relations, but serum GGT remained a significant risk factor for the risk of both metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion: These results point to that serum GGT may be a significant predictor for increasing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Keywords:  γ-glutamyltransferase, Cardiovascular, Aspartate aminotransferase (AST).

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Dr Laxminarayan Meena

Sr. Demonstrator, Department of Biochemistry, National Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India