Table 2.
Sex-specific γ-GT and metabolic parameters.
| γ-GT Q1 (lowest) (N = 1,667,971) | γ-GT Q2 (N = 1,625,459) | γ-GT Q3 (N = 1,702,051) | γ-GT Q4 (highest) (N = 1,599,790) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| γ-GT (IU/L), median (IQR) | 12.0 (10.0–14.0) | 17.0 (15.0–23.0) | 23.0 (20.0–32.0) | 46.0 (32.0–67.0) | <0.001 |
| γ-GT (IU/L), cutoff in men | ≤19.0 | 20.0–28.0 | 29.0–43.0 | ≥44.0 | <0.001 |
| γ-GT (IU/L), cutoff in women | ≤13.0 | 14.0–17.0 | 18.0–25.0 | ≥26.0 | <0.001 |
| Age (years) at survey, mean (SD) | 55.0 (10.8) | 55.8(10.5) | 56.4(10.3) | 56.3(9.9) | <0.001 |
| Age ≥60 years, N (%) | 522,568 (31.3) | 551,870 (34.0) | 610,178 (35.9) | 559,414 (35.0) | <0.001 |
| Follow-up duration (years), mean (SD) | 7.7 (1.2) | 7.7 (1.2) | 7.6 (1.2) | 7.6 (1.3) | <0.001 |
| Men, N (%) | 575,297 (34.5) | 675,673 (41.6) | 606,913 (35.7) | 610,100 (38.1) | <0.001 |
| Dementia, N (%) | 64,217 (3.9) | 64,442 (4.0) | 73458 (4.3) | 70540 (4.4) | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 22.9 (2.7) | 23.6 (2.8) | 24.3 (3.0) | 24.9 (3.2) | <0.001 |
| Obesity, N (%)* | 331,383 (20) | 467,720 (29) | 647,821 (38) | 752,397 (47) | <0.001 |
| SBP (mmHg), mean (SD) | 121.3 (15.9) | 123.6 (15.9) | 125.5 (16.1) | 127.5 (16.3) | <0.001 |
| DBP (mmHg), mean (SD) | 75.0 (10.1) | 76.6 (10.1) | 77.7 (10.2) | 79.0 (10.4) | <0.001 |
| FPG (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 93.6 (18.8) | 96.1 (21.8) | 98.8 (24.8) | 104.1 (30.5) | <0.001 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 188.2 (33.7) | 196.0 (35.0) | 202.1 (36.9) | 206.9 (39.8) | <0.001 |
| AST (U/L), median (IQR) | 21.8 (21.8–21.8) | 23.0 (23.0–23.0) | 24.3 (24.3–24.3) | 29.3 (29.3–29.3) | <0.001 |
| ALT (U/L), median (IQR) | 17.1 (17.1–17.1) | 19.7 (19.7–19.7) | 22.5 (22.5–22.5) | 30.7 (30.7–30.7) | <0.001 |
| Glycemic status | |||||
| Normoglycemia, N (%) | 1,258,644 (75.5) | 1,136,977 (67.0) | 1,093,089 (64.2) | 883,982 (55.3) | <0.001 |
| IFG, N (%) | 303,121 (18.2) | 347,155 (21.4) | 410,325 (24.1) | 434,909 (27.2) | <0.001 |
| Incident diabetes, N (%) | 25,597 (1.5) | 35,758 (2.2) | 52,362 (3.1) | 84,493 (5.3) | <0.001 |
| Prevalent diabetes, N (%) | 80,609 (4.8) | 105,569 (6.5) | 146,275 (8.6) | 196,406 (12.3) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension, N (%) | 418,596 (25.1) | 512,414 (31.5) | 643,843 (37.8) | 710,189 (44.4) | <0.001 |
| Dyslipidemia, N (%) | 199,912 (12.0) | 286,018 (17.6) | 409,593 (24.1) | 498,785 (31.2) | <0.001 |
| Myocardial infarction, N (%) | 7,896 (0.5) | 9,711 (0.6) | 11,283 (0.7) | 12,338 (0.8) | <0.001 |
| Stroke, N (%) | 34,742 (2.1) | 40,853 (2.5) | 49,595 (2.9) | 52,954 (3.3) | <0.001 |
| Current smoker, N (%) | 151,403 (9.1) | 192,585 (11.9) | 188,063 (11.1) | 190,242 (11.9) | <0.001 |
| Heavy drinker, N (%) | 260,994 (15.7) | 298,898 (18.4) | 317,239 (18.6) | 327,751 (20.5) | <0.001 |
| Regular exercise, N (%) | 794,907 (47.7) | 779,254 (47.9) | 785,860 (46.2) | 705,416 (44.1) | <0.001 |
| Income, lowest quartile, No. (%) | 357,888 (21.5) | 340,007 (20.9) | 360,958 (21.2) | 340,367 (21.3) | <0.001 |
Data for continuous variables were expressed as either mean ± standard deviation, or mean (interquartile range) and categorical variables were expressed as number (percent). Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; γ-GT, gamma-glutamyltransferase; AST, aspartate transaminase; ALT, alanine transferase; IFG, impaired fasting glucose.
*Obesity was defined as body mass index >25 kg/m2 per Asian-Pacific definition.