Alcohol Consumption, Serum gamma-Glutamyltransferase Levels, and Coronary Risk Factors in a Middle-Aged Occupational Population

• Published in: Journal of Occupational Health Vol. 45; no. 5; pp. 293 - 299
• Main Authors: Yamada, Yuichi, Noborisaka, Yuka, Suzuki, Hisa, Ishizaki, Masao, Yamada, Seiji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia JAPAN SOCIETY FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 01.09.2003; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Alcohols; Chi-Square Distribution; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Disease - etiology; Coronary risk factors; Disease Susceptibility; Female; Females; gamma-Glutamyltransferase - blood; Humans; Hypertension; Japan - epidemiology; Logistic Models; Male; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Middle age; Middle Aged; Obesity - epidemiology; Occupational health; Occupational population; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Serum gamma‐glutamyltransferase (GGT); Smoking - epidemiology; The metabolic syndrome; Women; Japan
• ISSN: 1341-9145; 1348-9585; 1348-9585
• DOI: 10.1539/joh.45.293

Alcohol Consumption, Serum gamma-Glutamyltransferase Levels, and Coronary Risk Factors in a Middle-Aged Occupational Population : Yuichi YAMADA, et al. Department of Hygiene, Kanazawa Medical University-The relationships between alcohol consumption, serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels, and the prevalence of major coronary risk factors were analyzed crosssectionally in 2,399 male and 1,402 female middle-aged workers, to clarify the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the development of the metabolic syndrome. Male moderate drinkers, consuming less than 60 m/of alcohol per day, had a lower prevalence of upper body obesity and low serum HDL-cholesterolemia (LHDLC) in comparison with nondrinkers, but not of hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance or hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). In women, alcohol consumption did not show any significant associations with the coronary risk factors. Men with an elevated serum GGT (EGGT) of 40 U/l or above had a significantly higher odds ratio for all the coronary risk factors as compared with those with normal GGT, even after adjusting for alcohol consumption, together with age, body mass index, cigarette consumption and physical activity. Women with an EGGT of 25 U/l or above had similar findings, although significance was found only in HTG. Nearly 80% and 55% of the appearance of EGGT in men and women were attributable to alcohol consumption, and 20% and 10% of the male and female moderate drinkers had EGGT. These results suggest that even moderate alcohol consumption will increase coronary risk factors characteristic of the metabolic syndrome in drinkers who have an increase in serum GGT. Further studies are required to confirm the causal association between alcohol consumption, increase in serum GGT and development of the metabolic syndrome. (J Occup Health 2003 ; 45 : 293-299)