Risks of borderline liver enzyme abnormalities to the incidence of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes mellitus: a 7 year follow up study of workers

A Longitudinal Increase in Serum Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Levels, but Not in Alanine Aminotransferase Levels, Improves the Prediction of Risk of Impaired Fasting Glucose in Male

BACKGROUND

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG), being a pre-diabetic condition, can increase the risk of overt diabetes; thus early detection and prediction of IFG are important to reduce the incidence of overt diabetes. Some predictive factors, including serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), have been reported in several studies, but none of the studies have investigated the effect of longitudinal changes in individual serum ALT and GGT levels on the risk of IFG.

METHODS

We aimed to investigate the association between changes in the serum ALT and GGT levels and the risk of IFG using a checkup database between 1999 and 2014.

RESULTS

A total of 3,598 males and 3,275 females were enrolled in the study. We performed a follow-up test of serum ALT or GGT in each individual, and classified the cases in which the serum ALT or GGT level was increased or decreased during the follow-up test compared to the baseline. According to the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, the hazard ratio was 1.76 (95% confidence interval, 1.45-2.12; P < 0.001) in male subjects with an increased serum GGT level compared to male subjects with a decrease in the serum GGT level at follow-up compared to the baseline. However, the relationship between the serum ALT level and incidence of new-onset IFG was not statistically significant in both sexes; and in females, the relationship between the serum GGT level and incidence of new-onset IFG was also not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

We revealed that a longitudinal increase in serum GGT levels was related to an increased risk of IFG in males. Therefore, monitoring the changes in serum GGT levels is important for predicting new-onset IFG, and it can be used as an early indicator of onset of overt diabetes in males.

Dietary quality, perceived health, and psychological status as key risk factors for newly developed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated biomarkers in individuals with newly developed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (ND-MASLD) and examined the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental factors using a machine learning approach in a large longitudinal study.

METHODS

Participants were classified into four groups based on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) status between the first and second measurements with an approximate 5-y gap. A model was developed to identify early-stage biomarkers of ND-MASLD (n = 1603). Nutrient intake, dietary patterns, genetic variants, and psychosocial factors were compared among the no MASLD (n = 60 081), recovered MASLD (n = 3181), persistent MASLD (n = 670), and ND-MASLD (n = 1603) groups. Their association with ND-MASLD was also predicted using a machine learning approach.

RESULTS

The model incorporating ND-MASLD status, age, sex, dietary inflammatory index, and metabolic syndrome (MetS), especially low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and hypertriglyceridemia, at the second measurement demonstrated an optimal fit. High carbohydrate intake with a high glycemic index was associated with elevated ND-MADSLD risk. Fatty liver index was lower in persistent MASLD followed by ND-MASLD, recovered MASLD, and no MASLD. Participants in the ND-MASLD group had lower vitamin D and total isoflavonoid intake and a lower modified healthy eating index, indicating unhealthy diets. The XGBoost and deep neural network models identified age, sex, MetS components, dietary antioxidants, self-rated health, psychological well-being indexes, and serum liver enzyme levels at the second measurement as significant predictors of ND-MASLD. However, polygenic risk scores were not included.

CONCLUSIONS

Early-stage biomarkers of ND-MASLD were closely linked to MetS incidence. Dietary quality, perceived health status, and psychological stress emerged as potential targets for MASLD prevention strategies, with lifestyle modifications potentially overriding genetic predispositions. The results indicate that preventive strategies about lifestyle modification should be developed for MASLD.

Considering serum alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels together strengthen the prediction of impaired fasting glucose risk: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Emerging data suggest that an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) as biomarkers of oxidative stress are associated with increased risk of impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The present study was an investigation of whether an increase in serum ALT and GGT had a combined effect on increasing IFG risk through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. In the cross-sectional study, data were analyzed from 9937 subjects without diabetes who underwent health check-ups between 1999 and 2001 (baseline data). In the longitudinal study, 6390 subjects were analyzed who had been rechecked between 2009 and 2014, excluding IFG patients from baseline data. In cross-sectional analysis, adjusted odds ratio (OR) of IFG in the fourth quartile of both ALT and GGT was 1.829 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.545–2.164) compared with the reference group (1st and 2nd quartiles of ALT and GGT). In longitudinal analysis, IFG probability increased gradually with an increase in the circulating levels of ALT and GGT. Adjusted hazard ratios for developing IFG in the fourth quartile of both ALT and GGT was 1.625 (95% CI 1.263–2.091) compared with the reference group (1st and 2nd quartiles). Increased serum ALT and GGT levels are well associated with IFG after potential confounders are adjusted for, and elevated ALT and GGT at the same time can have a combined effect in predicting the development of IFG.

Association of liver enzymes levels with fasting plasma glucose levels in Southern China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

According to several studies, liver enzymes levels are associated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels. However, the association stratified by body mass index (BMI) remains to be elucidated, especially in Southern China. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between liver enzymes levels and FPG levels stratified by BMI in Southern China.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

3056 individuals participated in real-time interviews and blood tests in Southern China. Participants were divided into three groups (underweight, normal weight and overweight or obesity) based on BMI cut-offs.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURED

Partial correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between FPG levels and liver tests. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to calculate the adjusted ORs for FPG levels based on liver enzymes levels.

RESULTS

There was no association between liver enzymes and FPG either in the underweight group or in the normal weight group; however, a significant correlation was observed in the overweight or obesity group (alanine transaminase (ALT), p<0.01; aspartate aminotransferase (AST), p<0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, the highest tertiles of ALT still remained significantly positively related to FPG levels in the overweight or obesity group, with an OR of 2.205 (95% CI 1.442 to 3.371) for the 5.56≤FPG<7.00 mmol/L vs the FPG<5.56 mmol/L group and with an OR of 2.297 (95% CI 1.017 to 5.187) for the FPG≥7.00 mmol/L vs the FPG<5.56 mmol/L group, but this correlation was not found for AST.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of liver enzymes levels with FPG levels differed based on different BMI cut-offs. ALT levels were significantly positively associated with FPG levels in the overweight or obesity group, but not in the other two groups; AST levels were not associated with FPG levels in any group.

Statin use and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients at high risk: A nationwide nested case-control study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Statins are widely used to treat hypercholesterolemia. Statins may prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but have not yet been fully studied, particularly in patients at high risk. Therefore, we investigated the risk of HCC after statin use in the whole general population and evaluated the effects of preexisting diabetes mellitus (DM) and liver cirrhosis (LC) on that risk.

METHODS

A nationwide, nested case-control study was conducted with data from the National Health Insurance Service Physical Health Examination Cohort 2002-2013 in the Republic of Korea. Individuals diagnosed with HCC were matched to controls based on the time of the follow-up, sex, and age at index date. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for HCC associated with statin use were analyzed by multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses. In total, 1,642 HCC cases were matched to 8,210 control individuals from 514,866 participants.

RESULTS

Statin use was associated with reduced risk of HCC development (adjusted OR [AOR] 0.44; 95% CI 0.33-0.58) compared with nonusers. The reduction in risk was significant in the presence (AOR 0.28; 95% CI 0.17-0.46) and absence of DM (AOR 0.53; 95% CI 0.39-0.73) and in the presence (AOR 0.39; 95% CI 0.26-0.60) and absence of LC (AOR 0.42; 95% CI 0.32-0.57). Statin use also significantly reduced the risk of HCC among patients with DM, without chronic complications (AOR 0.19; 95% CI 0.08-0.46) or with chronic complications (AOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.19-0.64), compared to nonusers.

CONCLUSIONS

Statin use may have a beneficial inhibitory effect on HCC development, particularly in patients with DM or LC, at high risk of HCC.

LAY SUMMARY

In this longitudinal nationwide population-based nested case-control study, the association between statin use and the risk of HCC was investigated in Asian populations. Herein, we noted a beneficial effect of statin use on the development of HCC in the general population and individuals at high risk of HCC (i.e. those with diabetes or liver cirrhosis).