Gamma Glutamyl Transferase and Metabolic Syndrome, Cardiovascular Disease, and Mortality Risk

Abstract

Objective— To determine whether serum γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality, accounting for temporal changes in known CVD risk factors and C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods and Results— In 3451 Framingham Study participants (mean age 44 years, 52% women) we examined the relations of GGT with CVD risk factors, and prospectively determined the risk of new-onset metabolic syndrome, incident CVD, and death. GGT was positively associated with body mass index, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose in cross-sectional analysis ( P P =0.007) and 26% increased risk of death ( P Conclusion— An increase in serum GGT predicts onset of metabolic syndrome, incident CVD, and death suggesting that GGT is a marker of metabolic and cardiovascular risk.