J Korean Med Sci.  2014 Oct;29(10):1379-1384. 10.3346/jkms.2014.29.10.1379.

Gender Differences in the Association between Serum gamma-Glutamyltransferase and Blood Pressure Change: A Prospective Community-Based Cohort Study

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Division of Cardiology, Severance Cardiovascular Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, Korea.
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. hylee612@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

We evaluated the gender differences in the relation of baseline serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels to blood pressure (BP) change during 4 yr. 4,025 normotensive subjects (1,945 men and 2,080 women) who aged 40-69 yr at baseline participated in the Ansung-Ansan cohort of the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study were included. The associations of GGT with baseline BP or 4-yr change of BP were evaluated. GGT levels were associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at baseline after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, C-reactive protein (CRP), current smoking status and alcohol intake (SBP, beta=1.28, P<0.001; DBP, beta=1.41, P<0.001). GGT levels were also associated with 4-yr change in BP after adjusting for age, BMI, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, CRP, current smoking status, alcohol intake and SBP (SBP, beta=1.08, P=0.001; DBP, beta=0.64, P=0.003). This association was statistically significant in men (SBP, beta=1.82, P<0.001; DBP, beta=1.05, P=0.001), but not in women (SBP, beta=0.38, P=0.466; DBP, beta=-0.37, P=0.304). Remarkably, this association between GGT and BP was significant in men at 40-49 yr of age. In summary, we found positive associations between GGT levels at baseline and the change of BP. The relation of GGT level and the change of BP was only significant in men, not in women, which warrants further studies to elucidate the biologic mechanisms.

Keyword

Blood Pressure; gamma-Glutamyltransferase; Gender

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Alcohol Drinking
Blood Pressure/genetics
C-Reactive Protein/analysis
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Hypertension/*enzymology/genetics
Male
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Triglycerides/blood
gamma-Glutamyltransferase/*blood/genetics
C-Reactive Protein
Triglycerides
gamma-Glutamyltransferase

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