HDL-C and non-HDL-C levels are associated with anthropometric and biochemical parameters

Diagnostic performance of the GGT/HDL-C ratio for NAFLD in adults with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most frequent liver disease, closely related with metabolic risk factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. In this context, γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have shown correlations with steatosis severity and metabolic syndrome, respectively. This positions the GGT/HDL-C ratio as a potential diagnostic indicator for NAFLD.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic performance of the GGT/HDL-C ratio for NAFLD in adults with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery.

METHODS

We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study, designed as a diagnostic test evaluation. A secondary database of 249 adults with obesity was analyzed. The optimal cut-off point was ascertained using three methodologies, and five adjustment models were constructed for the total population, further stratified by sex.

RESULTS

The optimal cut-off point was 20.5 U/mmol and the AUC of the ratio was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.64-0.98), with sensitivity and specificity being 82.5% and 77.8%, respectively. In the overall group with an elevated GGT/HDL-C ratio, the prevalence of NAFLD increased by 14% (PR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04-1.33). Specifically, women displaying this altered ratio showed a 19% increased prevalence (PR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.07-1.42) compared to those with normal values.

CONCLUSIONS

The GGT/HDL-C ratio is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of NAFLD in an adult population living with obesity.

Correlation between bone density, bone metabolism markers with lipid metabolism markers and body mass index

PURPOSE

We aimed to explore the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD), bone metabolism markers, and blood lipid-related indicators, body mass index (BMI) in elderly individuals.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 710 patients. Patients' gender, age, height, weight, bone density values, T-scores, bone metabolism markers (including serum N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (s-PINP), serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (s-CTX) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and lipid-related indicators (including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and Castelli index 1 (TC/HDL-C index) and Castelli index 2 (LDL-C/HDL-C index) were recorded. Correlations between variables were analyzed, and patients were grouped according to gender and T-score for intergroup comparisons.

RESULTS

HDL-C negatively correlates with BMD and s-CTX. TG, Castelli index, and BMI positively correlate with BMD. BMI negatively correlates with s-PINP. 1,25(OH)2D3 negatively correlates with TC, LDL-C, and Castelli index. LDL-C positively correlates with BMD in males, and TC negatively correlates with s-PINP. In females, HDL-C negatively correlates with BMD, and s-CTX positively correlates with Castelli index. 1,25(OH)2D3 negatively correlates with TC, LDL-C, and Castelli index. TG and Castelli index were higher in normal bone mass group, while HDL-C is higher in the osteoporosis group. TG and BMI positively predicted bone mass density, while HDL-C negatively predicted bone mass density.

CONCLUSIONS

HDL-C may have a predictive role in osteoporosis, particularly in women. The likelihood of osteoporosis is lower in individuals with high BMI or hyperlipidemia. Some lipid metabolism markers can be used to predict osteoporosis, and further research is needed.

Sex-specific associations of γ-glutamyltransferase to HDL-cholesterol ratio and the incident risk of cardiovascular disease: three Korean longitudinal cohorts from different regions

Background

The combination of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (GGT/HDL-C) is a novel noninsulin-based marker for assessing the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, whether the GGT/HDL-C ratio is related to the risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is not well known. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the longitudinal effect of GGT/HDL-C ratio on incident CVD risk in three large cohorts of Korean men and women.

Methods

Data were assessed from 27,643 participants without CVD from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), Health Risk Assessment Study (HERAS), and Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) (HERAS-HIRA) datasets. The participants were divided into four groups according to the GGT/HDL-C quartiles. We prospectively assessed hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CVD using multivariate Cox proportional-hazard regression models over a 50-month period following the baseline survey.

Results

During the follow-up period, 949 patients (3.4%; 529 men and 420 women) developed CVD. The HRs of CVD for GGT/HDL-C quartiles 2-4 were 1.36 (95% CI, 0.91-2.02), 1.54 (95% CI, 1.05-2.26), and 1.66 (95% CI, 1.12-2.47) after adjusting for metabolic parameters in women, but GGT/HDL-C did not show a trend toward increases in incident CVD in men. Regional discrepancies were evident in the results; the increase in HR in the metropolitan hospital cohort was more pronounced than that in the urban cohort, and the risk was not increased in the rural cohort.

Conclusion

GGT/HDL-C ratio may be a useful predictive marker for CVD in women. Furthermore, the prevalence of CVD was strongly correlated with the GGT/HDL-C ratio in metropolitan areas, and this correlation was more significant than that observed with GGT or HDL-C in isolation.

Predicting metabolic syndrome by obesity- and lipid-related indices in mid-aged and elderly Chinese: a population-based cross-sectional study

Objective

To predict the optimal cut-off values for screening and predicting metabolic syndrome(MetS) in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese population using 13 obesity and lipid-related indicators, and to identify the most suitable predictors.

Methods

The data for this cross-sectional investigation came from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 9457 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45-98 years old. We examined 13 indicators, including waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), lipid accumulation product index (LAP), conicity index (CI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), triglyceride-glucose index (TyG-index) and their combined indices (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the usefulness of indicators for screening for MetS in the elderly and to determine their cut-off values, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). Association analysis of 13 obesity-related indicators with MetS was performed using binary logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 9457 middle-aged and elderly Chinese were included in this study, and the overall prevalence of the study population was 41.87% according to the diagnostic criteria of NCEP ATP III. According to age and gender, the percentage of males diagnosed with MetS was 30.67% (45-54 years old: 30.95%, 55-64 years old: 41.02%, 65-74 years old: 21.19%, ≥ 75 years old: 6.84%). The percentage of females diagnosed with MetS was 51.38% (45-54 years old: 31.95%, 55-64 years old: 39.52%, 65-74 years old: 20.43%, ≥ 75 years old: 8.10%). The predictive power of Tyg-related parameters was more prominent in both sexes. In addition, LAP and CVAI are also good at predicting MetS. ABSI had a poor prediction ability.

Conclusions

Among the middle-aged and elderly population in China, after adjusting for confounding factors, all the indicators except ABSI had good predictive power. The predictive power of Tyg-related parameters was more prominent in both sexes. In addition, LAP and CVAI are also good at predicting MetS.

Predicting hypertension by obesity- and lipid-related indices in mid-aged and elderly Chinese: a nationwide cohort study from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Currently, the study outcomes of anthropometric markers to predict the risk of hypertension are still inconsistent due to the effect of racial disparities. This study aims to investigate the most effective predictors for screening and prediction of hypertension (HTN) in the Chinese middle-aged and more elderly adult population and to predict hypertension using obesity and lipid-related markers in Chinese middle-aged and older people.

METHODS

The data for the cohort study came from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 4423 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 years or above. We examined 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices, including waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), lipid accumulation product index (LAP), conicity index (CI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), triglyceride-glucose index (TyG-index) and their combined indices (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). To compare the capacity of each measure to forecast the probability of developing HTN, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the usefulness of anthropometric indices for screening for HTN in the elderly and determining their cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). Association analysis of 13 obesity-related anthropometric indicators with HTN was performed using binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

During the four years, the incident rates of HTN in middle-aged and elderly men and women in China were 22.08% and 17.82%, respectively. All the above 13 indicators show a modest predictive power (AUC > 0.5), which is significant for predicting HTN in adults (middle-aged and elderly people) in China (P < 0.05). In addition, when WHtR = 0.501 (with an AUC of 0.593, and sensitivity and specificity of 63.60% and 52.60% respectively) or TYg-WHtR = 4.335 (with an AUC of 0.601, and sensitivity and specificity of 58.20% and 59.30% respectively), the effect of predicting the incidence risk of men is the best. And when WHtR = 0.548 (with an AUC of 0.609, and sensitivity and specificity of 59.50% and 56.50% respectively) or TYg-WHtR = 4.781(with an AUC of 0.617, and sensitivity and specificity of 58.10% and 60.80% respectively), the effect of predicting the incidence risk of women is the best.

CONCLUSIONS

The 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices in this study have modest significance for predicting HTN in Chinese middle-aged and elderly patients. WHtR and Tyg-WHtR are the most cost-effective indicators with moderate predictive value of the development of HTN.

Patterns of change in obesity indices and other cardiometabolic risk factors before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes: two decades follow-up of the Tehran lipid and glucose study

Background

Identifying patterns of variation in obesity indices and other cardiometabolic risk factors before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes could provide insight into the critical period when drastic changes occurred and facilitate targeted interventions for the prevention of diabetes. Therefore, this study sought to explore patterns of change in obesity indices and other cardiometabolic risk factors before diabetes diagnosis.

Methods

We investigated 6305 participants (43.7% men) aged 20–65 from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) who were free of diabetes at baseline. First, we jointly estimated developmental multi-trajectories of obesity indices using multivariate latent class growth mixed model, and then patterns of cardiometabolic risk factors within the identified multi-trajectories were assessed using mixed-effects models.

Results

Three patterns of change in obesity indices were identified. Most participants belonged to the “progressing” group (83.4%; n = 742), with a slight but steadily rising in obesity indices until diagnosis in both men and women. All multi-trajectory groups showed similar exponential increases in fasting and 2-h plasma glucose concentrations 6 years before diagnosis and linear increases in blood pressure and total and LDL cholesterol throughout follow-up. Patterns of triglyceride and HDL cholesterol accompanied each group’s patterns of change in obesity indices.

Conclusion

Three patterns of the joint progression of obesity indices before diabetes diagnosis were accompanied by similar blood glucose patterns and other cardiometabolic risk factors. These findings suggest the impact of the increasing trend of obesity indices and other metabolic factors on the incidence of diabetes and emphasize the importance of assessing the metabolic risk factors at each visit.

The Role of Oxidative Stress in the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Identification of Risk Factors Using AIP and Castelli Atherogenicity Indicators in Patients with PCOS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies in females of reproductive age and may affect 5-14% of women. In women with PCO syndrome, metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and other elements of metabolic syndrome may occur. Patients with PCOS often have overweight and obesity, especially abdominal obesity, which is one of the risk factors for developing atherosclerosis. The atherogenicity indicators of AIP (atherogenic index of plasma) and Castelli's index are used to assess the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Studies have shown an increase in the concentration and activity of oxidative stress markers in patients with PCOS compared to women without the disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate oxidative stress parameters in patients with PCOS in relation to insulin resistance, BMI, and hyperandrogenemia and to correlate them with cardiovascular risk parameters. Conclusions: The severity of oxidative stress in women with PCOS correlates with exposure to cardiovascular diseases. The assessment of additional cardiovascular disease (CVD) parameters is useful in identifying the risk groups for cardiometabolic disease among PCOS patients. When additional risk factors such as hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance (IR) are present in patients with PCOS, it is reasonable to include preventive examinations early. It is also important to evaluate lipidograms, which will make it possible to determine indicators of atherogenicity. Patients with PCOS and IR are at particular risk for cardiovascular complications. PCOS should be considered an important risk factor for CVD, which occurs independently of the occurrence of obesity. This factor is related to the important role of insulin resistance, which occurs independently of obesity. Atherogenic factors (AIP and Castelli index) are useful additional parameters to assess the risk of cardiometabolic disease in PCOS patients, especially among groups with insulin resistance. The early detection of risk factors should be an integral part of the care of PCOS patients. In laboratory studies of women with PCOS, TG, TChol, HDL-c and LDL-c levels, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were most clearly correlated with exposure to cardiovascular disease.

Associations Between GGT/HDL and MAFLD: A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

To explore the association between γ-glutamyl transpeptidase to high-density lipoprotein ratio (GGT/HDL), triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TYG-BMI), and metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in a Chinese population with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by cross-sectional analysis. To investigate the role of GGT/HDL played in MAFLD by TYG-BMI.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 1434 adult patients hospitalized with T2DM at Hebei General Hospital (Shijiazhuang, China) were included in the study. Patients' demographic and clinical data were collected. Spearman correlation was used to test for an association between GGT/HDL or TYG-BMI and related risk factors of MAFLD among T2DM patients. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between GGT/HDL or TYG-BMI and MAFLD. Mediation analysis was used to explore whether TYG-BMI mediated the association between GGT/HDL and MAFLD.

RESULTS

A total of 1434 T2DM patients were enrolled, the MAFLD group showed a higher level of GGT/HDL compared to the non-MAFLD group. There was a progressive increase in the prevalence of MAFLD with increasing tertiles of GGT/HDL. After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that high levels of GGT/HDL were independent risk factors for MAFLD in T2DM patients. BMI further grouped the patients: ≤ 23kg/m2,>23kg/m2. GGT/HDL was found to be an independent risk factor for MAFLD but only in T2DM patients with a BMI greater than 23 kg/m2. Mediation analysis indicated that GGT/HDL had a significant direct effect on MAFLD.

CONCLUSION

GGT/HDL was positively associated with MAFLD incidence in T2DM patients with a BMI greater than 23 Kg/m2, and TYG-BMI partly mediated the association.

Low-/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and carotid plaques in patients with coronary heart disease: a Chinese cohort study

BACKGROUND

Evidence on the relationship between the low-/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LDL-C/HDL-C) and carotid plaques remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association between LDL-C/HDL-C and carotid plaques in participants with coronary heart disease (CHD) and to further explore the extent to which a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of LDL-C/HDL-C-related carotid plaques.

METHODS

This large-scale and multi-centre retrospective study included 9426 CHD patients (aged 35-75 years) between January 1, 2014 and September 30, 2020. The LDL-C/HDL-C values were converted to the following tertiles: lowest (< 2.15), middle (2.15-3), and highest (> 3). Healthy lifestyle-related factors referred to whether or not the participant was a non-smoker and non-drinker. Participants were divided into an unfavourable group (those who did not adhere to healthy lifestyle factors), intermediate (only one unhealthy factor), and favourable (neither of the two unhealthy factors). Logistic regression was used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 9426 participants, 6989 (74.15%) CHD patients had carotid plaques. After adjustment for confounders, each unit increase in the LDL-C/HDL-C was significantly associated with carotid plaques (OR: 1.61; 95%CI: 1.43-1.84; P <  0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that carotid plaques risk for the highest tertile (> 3) was 1.18 times that of the lowest quartile (< 2.15). Compared with an unfavourable lifestyle, an intermediate or a favourable lifestyle was associated with a significant 30% (OR: 0.70; 95%CI: 0.64-0.78; P <  0.001) or 67% (OR: 0.33; 95%CI: 0.29-0.37; P <  0.001) reduction in carotid plaques risk, respectively, among CHD patients with high LDL-C/HDL-C. There were significantly additive and multiplicative interactions between lifestyle and LDL-C/HDL-C with regards to carotid plaques.

CONCLUSION

A high LDL-C/HDL-C is associated with a risk of carotid plaques developing in CHD patients. Adhering to a healthy lifestyle has additive beneficial effects on reducing the risk of carotid plaques, especially in relation to the highest LDL-C/HDL-C.

Assessment of Different Atherogenic Indices as Predictors of Metabolic Syndrome in Spanish Adolescents

Background: Inconsistent results due to age, ethnic, and geographic differences have been found on the predictive capacity of atherogenic indices in previous studies. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of 6 atherogenic indices for MetS in a Spanish adolescent population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 981 adolescents (13.2 ± 1.2y) that were randomly recruited from schools in Southeastern Spain. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were evaluated to identify the presence of MetS. The following atherogenic indices were calculated: triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides to HDL-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-c), LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio (LDL-c/HDL-c), and total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio (TC/HDL-c). Results: The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves was used for discrimination purposes. AIP was the atherogenic index most strongly associated with MetS with an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 37.98 in boys and of 28.75 in girls. A high OR was maintained after adjustment by different factors. AUC values for all atherogenic indices were above 0.83 and 0.88 in boys and in girls, respectively. Conclusions: Among the 6 atherogenic indices studied, AIP was the one most strongly associated with MetS in Spanish adolescents. The AUC values obtained from ROC analyses suggest that all atherogenic indices have the ability to predict MetS. These atherogenic indices are interesting and useful predictive indicators for MetS. However, more studies are needed to explore in-depth this predictive capacity.

Dietary Macronutrient Composition in Relation to Circulating HDL and Non-HDL Cholesterol: A Federated Individual-Level Analysis of Cross-Sectional Data from Adolescents and Adults in 8 European Studies

BACKGROUND

Associations between increased dietary fat and decreased carbohydrate intake with circulating HDL and non-HDL cholesterol have not been conclusively determined.

OBJECTIVE

We assessed these relations in 8 European observational human studies participating in the European Nutritional Phenotype Assessment and Data Sharing Initiative (ENPADASI) using harmonized data.

METHODS

Dietary macronutrient intake was recorded using study-specific dietary assessment tools. Main outcome measures were lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations: HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) and non-HDL cholesterol (mg/dL). A cross-sectional analysis on 5919 participants (54% female) aged 13-80 y was undertaken using the statistical platform DataSHIELD that allows remote/federated nondisclosive analysis of individual-level data. Generalized linear models (GLM) were fitted to assess associations between replacing 5% of energy from carbohydrates with equivalent energy from total fats, SFAs, MUFAs, or PUFAs with circulating HDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol. GLM were adjusted for study source, age, sex, smoking status, alcohol intake and BMI.

RESULTS

The replacement of 5% of energy from carbohydrates with total fats or MUFAs was statistically significantly associated with 0.67 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.40, 0.94) or 0.99 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.37, 1.60) higher HDL cholesterol, respectively, but not with non-HDL cholesterol concentrations. The replacement of 5% of energy from carbohydrates with SFAs or PUFAs was not associated with HDL cholesterol, but SFAs were statistically significantly associated with 1.94 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.08, 3.79) higher non-HDL cholesterol, and PUFAs with -3.91 mg/dL (95% CI: -6.98, -0.84) lower non-HDL cholesterol concentrations. A statistically significant interaction by sex for the association of replacing carbohydrates with MUFAs and non-HDL cholesterol was observed, showing a statistically significant inverse association in males and no statistically significant association in females. We observed no statistically significant interaction by age.

CONCLUSIONS

The replacement of dietary carbohydrates with fats had favorable effects on lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in European adolescents and adults when fats were consumed as MUFAs or PUFAs but not as SFAs.

The influence of ultra-processed food consumption in anthropometric and atherogenic indices of adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the influence of ultra-processed food consumption on anthropometric and atherogenic indices. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 327 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and food consumption data were evaluated. The ratios of atherogenic indices were calculated using the Castelli I (Total Cholesterol/High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol), Castelli II (Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol/High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol), and estimated Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol particle size (Atherogenic Index of Plasma=Triglycerides/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol) indices. Logistic regression was used for the unadjusted and adjusted analysis between ultra-processed foods consumption, anthropometric, and atherogenic indices. The level of significance was 5%. Results Most participants were female (59.3%). Girls had a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (26.6% vs. 20.5%). Of the total number of adolescents, 16.5% were overweight and 65.7% were from public schools. Adolescents with altered values for the Castelli I and II Index, and for the Atherogenic Index of Plasma had significantly higher weights, Waist Circumference, Waist Circumference/ Height and Body Mass Index/ Age values. The adjusted analysis identified a significant association (Odds ratio=2.29; 95% Confidence interval: 1.23-4.28) between the high consumption of ultra-processed foods and the Castelli II index. Conclusion The associations between atherogenic indices and anthropometric indices and the consumption of ultra-processed foods highlight the negative influence of these foods on adolescents’ cardiovascular health.

Transition Patterns of Weight Status and Their Predictive Lipid Markers Among Chinese Adults: A Longitudinal Cohort Study Using the Multistate Markov Model

BACKGROUND

Obesity is well recognized as a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. The development of obesity is a dynamic process that can be described as a multistate process with an emphasis on transitions between weight states. However, it is still unclear what convenient biomarkers predict transitions between weight states. The aim of this study was to show the dynamic nature of weight status in adults stratified by age and sex and to explore blood markers of metabolic syndrome (MetS) that predict transitions between weight states.

METHODS

This study involved 9795 individuals aged 18 to 56 at study entry who underwent at least two health check-ups in the eight-year period of study in the health check-up centre of our institution. Weight, height and biochemical indices were measured at each check-up. The participants were divided into four groups based on age and sex (young male, middle-aged male, young female and middle-aged female groups). A multistate Markov model containing 3 states (healthy weight, overweight and obesity) was adopted to study the longitudinal weight data.

RESULTS

Young people were more likely to transit between weight states than middle-aged people, and middle-aged people were more resistant to recover from worse states. The mean sojourn time in obesity was greatest in the middle-aged male group (6.23 years), and the predicted rate of obesity beginning with healthy weight was greatest in the young male group (13.7%). In multivariate models, age group and triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels were significant for specific transitions in females, whereas age group and HDL levels were significant in males. In females, if HDL levels increased 1 mmol/L, the probability of progression from healthy weight to overweight decreased by 37.0% (HR= 0.63), and the probabilities of recovery (overweight to healthy weight and obesity to overweight) increased by 62.0% (HR= 1.62) and 1.23-fold (HR= 2.23), respectively. In males, if TG levels increased 1 mmol/L, the risk of progression from healthy weight to overweight increased by 24.0% (HR= 1.24). Each unit increase in HDL levels was associated with a 0.99-fold (HR= 1.99) increase in the chance of recovery from overweight to healthy weight and with a 0.37-fold (HR= 0.63) decrease in the risk of progression from healthy weight to overweight.

CONCLUSION

The weight status of young people was less stable than that of middle-aged people. Males were more likely to become overweight and more resistant to recover from worse states than females. Young males with healthy weight were more likely to develop obesity than other healthy weight groups. Blood lipid levels, especially HDL, were predictors of weight transitions in adults. Prevention and intervention measures should be applied early.

Association between ratio of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study

Background

Metabolic risk factors including obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome (MS), and diabetes are associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and obesity. We investigated the associations between GGT/HDL-C ratio and prevalence of NAFLD in a Chinese population.

Methods

The study included 1,813 NAFLD (526 females, 1,287 males) and 4,513 non-NAFLD (3,077 females, 1,436 males) participants. The diagnosis of NAFLD was based on ultrasonography.

Results

Participants with NAFLD had higher GGT/HDL-C ratio, BMI, WC, TG, TC, and HOMA-IR, but lower HDL-C than participants without NAFLD. GGT/HDL-C ratio was significantly associated with prevalence of NAFLD. Specifically, for each 1 unit increase in GGT/HDL-C ratio, the prevalence of NAFLD will increase by 0.3%. As GGT/HDL-C ratio quartiles increased, prevalence of NAFLD/MS in Q4 (highest GGT/HDL-C ratio quartile) was 6.362/3.968 times higher than that in Q1 (lowest GGT/HDL-C ratio quartile). The AUC [0.799 (0.788-0.810)] for GGT/HDL-C ratio was significantly higher than those for GGT and HDL-C alone.

Conclusions

The present results suggest that GGT/HDL-C ratio can be used as a predictive factor for prevalence of NAFLD after adjustment for confounding variables.