Why is ggt levels high

This is one reason that vegetarians sometimes suffer from iron deficiency or anemia [ 88 , 89 ]. One study of 10k participants found that moderate exercise walking was associated with decreased GGT levels in men , but not women [ 90 ]. Certain environmental pollutants such as lead, cadmium, dioxin, and organochlorine-containing pesticides increase GGT levels [ 92 ]. Six weeks of magnesium supplementation decreased levels of GGT in a group of chronic alcoholics.

However, this was a small study and further research is needed [ 93 ]. The full range of functions for GGT is not known.

It is a topic of continued scientific and clinical study. There are disease states such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and hypothyroidism where clinical studies show conflicting conclusions regarding risk and elevated GGT levels. Further studies need to be done to determine if high GGT levels increase the risk of these diseases. This is mostly the case with GGT and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Rarely are low levels of GGT dangerous. However, a few conditions are associated with abnormally low levels of GGT. Whether this is cause for concern depends on other factors.

Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis FIC includes inherited genetic disorders, usually observed in infants and children. It is characterized by the decreased flow of bile from the liver.

It can be:. Mutations in the ATP8B1 gene are related to both the mild and severe forms of the disease. This gene controls the bile salt export pump, which drives bile flow [ 94 ].

Women in their second and third trimesters may have lower levels of GGT in comparison to non-pregnant women. There is no indication that this is a cause for concern [ 95 ]. Many genetic and environmental factors can influence GGT levels.

Early animal and cell-based studies suggest fullerene buckminsterfullerene or C60 may be an antioxidant that removes toxic metabolic waste. According to these early studies, C60 may promote longevity and reduce oxidative stress. However, it showed the potential to damage DNA. Additionally, fullerene has not yet been studied in humans. Thus, its short- and long-term risk and safety profile remain unknown.

We recommend against taking this compound until proper clinical trials are completed. Joe Cohen won the genetic lottery of bad genes. As a kid, he suffered from inflammation, brain fog, fatigue, digestive problems, anxiety, depression, and other issues that were poorly understood in both conventional and alternative medicine.

All of our content is written by scientists and people with a strong science background. Takeaway Early animal and cell-based studies suggest fullerene buckminsterfullerene or C60 may be an antioxidant that removes toxic metabolic waste. Search Encyclopedia. Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase Does this test have other names?

Why do I need this test? What other tests might I have along with this test? You may have other liver enzyme tests. GGT may be higher with diabetes, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, or pancreatitis.

How is this test done? Does this test pose any risks? What might affect my test results? How do I get ready for this test? A raised serum GGT level is a biologic marker of excessive alcoholic consumption in the clinical practice [ 19 ]. GGT is a marker of oxidative stress [ 20 ] and oxidative stress had been implicated in the development of insulin resistance [ 21 ]. Additionally, although GGT has a high heritability [ 22 ], its activity is also highly variable in response to various environmental factors, such as BMI, alcohol consumption, age, waist circumference, smoking, heart rate, blood pressure, serum levels of glucose, ferritin, uric acid, and lipid metabolism [ 23 ].

TGs are synthesized from free fatty acids FFAs. In the setting of over-nutrition and insulin resistance, hepatic FFA levels get increased. As mentioned, lipid metabolism is closely associated with the pathogenesis of NAFLD, and our finding that TG influences fatty liver changes confirms this association. We could not accurately explain why each of these factors was identified as independent predictors of fatty liver changes in the Normal-GGT group. Clinical background or confounding factors might influence these results or the sample size of this study might be insufficient to select FBS and HDL as independent predictors.

Alternatively, some differences in the established risk factors were observed for fatty liver change, which reveal that TG accumulation progression of NAFLD as risk factors [ 17 ]. Meanwhile, we did not identify other independent factors influencing fatty liver changes except TG in the Abnormal-GGT group. These sample size imbalance may have affected our results. Moreover, although the multivariate analysis identified independent predictors, the differences between individuals with non-fatty liver changes and those with fatty liver changes in the Normal-GGT group were small.

The frequency of obese individuals in our population was low. This population presented alternative risk factors to those in individuals with obesity and NAFLD such as insulin resistance, weight gain, and genetic predispositions [ 33 ].

In our study, the population was probably similar to those in the non-obese populations, and the differences in those risk factors between individuals without fatty liver changes and those with fatty liver changes are small. In addition, the HR was very close to 1. The sample size may have affected our results.

Large population studies are needed to confirm the impact of GGT on fatty liver change. We want to address the limitations in our study.

First, alcohol consumption was measured based on self-reported doses. However, the prevalence of alcohol dependence diagnosed by ICD was reportedly low at 1. In our study, the exclusion criterion of alcoholic consumption was determined by reference to clinical practice guidelines in Japan [ 4 ], and we excluded 6.

Moreover, differential consumption of alcohol and food, differences in physical activities and medications such as antioxidants during the observation period could not be reflected statistically. These factors could not deny their influence on fatty liver changes in each group.

Thus, we failed to document details such as disease duration, medications taken, and disease control. Third, the gold standard for the diagnosis of fatty liver is liver biopsy, but the invasiveness of that procedure means that it is not feasible for the general population. Although ultrasonography provides sufficient diagnostic power to detect fatty liver [ 15 , 16 ], some individuals with mild fatty liver may have different fatty liver results via ultrasonography.

These results may become more clear when using a method that can capture a slight difference in fatty liver, such as the controlled attenuation parameter method.

These results became more prominent after adjusting for background factors through propensity score matching.

Individuals with repeated elevated GGT levels without fatty liver seem to have an increased risk of developing fatty liver changes in the future. In those individuals, a high TG is an independent predictor of fatty liver changes to come.

The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Angulo P. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. N Engl J Med. The diagnosis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: practice guidance from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

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Gamma-glutamyltransferase and its isoenzymes: progress and problems. Clin Chem. Gamma-glutamyltransferase levels and risk of metabolic syndrome: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Int J Clin Pract. Gamma glutamyltransferase and metabolic syndrome risk: a systematic review and dose—response meta-analysis. Is serum gamma glutamyltransferase a marker of oxidative stress?

Free Radic Res. Is serum gamma-glutamyltransferase inversely associated with serum antioxidants as a marker of oxidative stress? Free Radic Biol Med. Serum level of gamma-glutamyl transferase as a biomarker for predicting stenosis severity in patients with coronary artery disease.

Indian Heart J. Int Urol Nephrol. Liver cleanses are said to boost your digestive health, but they can actually do more harm than good. Here's how to get the benefits without the risk….

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