Table 2.

Associations* between baseline liver enzyme levels (2002–2003) and all-cause mortality (2008–2013)

Decile†	Levels (U/L)	n (%)	HR	95% CI	P value
ALT
1	≤12	56 870 (11.7)	1.16	1.10 to 1.23	<0.0001
2	13–14	41 904 (8.7)	1.11	1.04 to 1.17	0.0014
3	15–16	46 115 (9.5)	1.07	1.01 to 1.13	0.0292
4	17–18	46 272 (9.6)	Ref.	Ref.	Ref.
5	19–21	62 738 (13.0)	1.06	1.01 to 1.12	0.0320
6	22–23	33 898 (7.0)	1.04	0.97 to 1.11	0.2722
7	24–27	54 157 (11.2)	1.05	0.99 to 1.11	0.1046
8	28–32	46 873 (9.7)	1.11	1.05 to 1.18	0.0005
9	33–42	49 009 (10.1)	1.17	1.10 to 1.24	<0.0001
10	≥43	46 601 (9.6)	1.53	1.44 to 1.62	<0.0001
AST
1	≤16	48 178 (10.0)	1.15	1.07 to 1.24	0.0001
2	17–18	45 357 (9.4)	1.09	1.01 to 1.18	0.0217
3	19–20	58 461 (12.1)	1.09	1.02 to 1.17	0.0175
4	21	30 304 (6.3)	Ref.	Ref.	Ref.
5	22–23	58 761 (12.1)	1.03	0.96 to 1.10	0.4151
6	24–25	52 190 (10.8)	1.06	0.99 to 1.14	0.0896
7	26–27	41 805 (8.6)	1.09	1.01 to 1.17	0.0185
8	28–31	58 055 (12.0)	1.08	1.01 to 1.15	0.0257
9	32–37	44 515 (9.2)	1.20	1.12 to 1.28	<0.0001
10	≥38	46 802 (9.7)	1.70	1.59 to 1.81	<0.0001
GGT
1	≤11	54 316 (11.2)	Ref.	Ref.	Ref.
2	12–13	36 355 (7.5)	1.01	0.94 to 1.08	0.7713
3	14–16	55 121 (11.4)	1.07	1.00 to 1.13	0.0412
4	17–19	49 756 (10.3)	1.10	1.04 to 1.17	0.0019
5	20–23	53 476 (11.0)	1.12	1.06 to 1.19	0.0002
6	24–27	41 003 (8.5)	1.16	1.09 to 1.24	<0.0001
7	28–34	50 696 (10.5)	1.24	1.17 to 1.32	<0.0001
8	35–45	48 116 (9.9)	1.31	1.23 to 1.39	<0.0001
9	46–71	49 144 (10.1)	1.46	1.37 to 1.55	<0.0001
10	≥72	46 450 (9.6)	2.05	1.93 to 2.18	<0.0001

*Adjusted for age, sex, household income decile, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose levels, and history of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

†Deciles for baseline levels of ALT, AST and GGT.

ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; GGT, gamma glutamyltransferase; Ref., reference.