Table 1

Comparison of baseline characteristics according to quintiles of serum GGT among 22 020 participants

CharacteristicsGGT level
Q1 (n=3888)Q2 (n=4711)Q3 (n=4476)Q4 (n=4475)Q5 (n=4470)P value
Age (years)49.2±10.351.6±10.753.5±10.254.2±10.154.0±10.0<0.0001
Male gender (n, %)318 (8.2)1016 (21.6)1536 (34.3)1994 (44.6)2208 (49.4)<0.0001
BMI (kg/m2)21.8±2.822.3±3.122.9±3.223.6±3.624.2±3.4<0.0001
Han ethnicity (n, %)1805 (46.4)2170 (46.1)2138 (47.8)1977 (44.2)1875 (41.9)<0.0001
Smoking (n, %)203 (5.2)711 (15.1)1128 (25.2)1434 (32.0)1610 (36.0)<0.0001
Drinking (n, %)470 (12.1)886 (18.8)1150 (25.7)1372 (30.7)1725 (38.6)<0.0001
Higher education (n, %)251 (6.5)309 (6.6)315 (7.0)319 (7.1)416 (9.3)<0.0001
Hypertension (n, %)630 (16.2)1012 (21.5)1205 (26.9)1442 (32.2)1559 (34.9)<0.0001
CVD (n, %)50 (1.3)101 (2.1)121 (2.7)135 (3.0)139 (3.1)<0.0001
Therapy for hypertension or other CVD (n, %)368 (9.5)653 (13.9)817 (18.3)923 (20.6)1024 (22.9)<0.0001
Hyperglycaemic (n, %)520 (13.4)872 (18.5)1036 (23.1)1279 (28.6)1483 (33.2)<0.0001
SUA (μmol/L))256.7±63.8280.4±70.6303.8±78.7325.1±88.5352.8±98.0<0.0001
Creatinine (μmol/L)69.7±14.373.6±21.976.5±17.679.1±19.481.0±23.1<0.0001
TG (mmol/L)1.2±0.71.5±1.11.8±1.52.1±1.92.6±2.5<0.0001
LDL-c (mmol/L)2.9±0.73.1±0.83.2±0.93.3±0.93.3±1.0<0.0001
HDL-c (mmol/L)1.7±0.41.6±0.41.6±0.41.5±0.41.5±0.5<0.0001
ALT (U/L)14.2±5.616.4±7.319.0±8.323.0±12.534.3±23.9<0.0001
AST (U/L)22.2±5.923.3±6.424.5±7.126.3±9.332.1±17.5<0.0001
AST: ALT ratio1.7±0.51.6±0.51.4±0.51.3±0.61.2±0.6<0.0001
  • Q1, quintile 1 (n = 3888): <15 U/L; Q2, quintile 2 (n = 4711): 15–21 U/L; Q3, quintile 3 (n = 4476): 21–30 U/L; Q4, quintile 4 (n = 4475): 30–50 U/L; Q5, quintile 5 (n = 4470): ≥ 50 U/L

  • ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BMI, body mass index; CVD, cardiovascular diseases; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; HDL-c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; SUA, serum uric acid; TG, triglycerides.