Association between serum gamma glutamyl transferase and fasting blood glucose in Chinese people: A 6‐year follow‐up study

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationships between gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) during a 6‐year follow‐up study of participants, and to determine whether GGT is a risk factor for FBG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,369 individuals from the health examination survey in the urban area of Xuzhou, central China, were followed up for 6 years. The patients were divided into four groups based on their baseline GGT levels (in quartiles). The one‐way analysis of variance (anova) method was used to compare the differences between the variables and baseline. The relationship between GGT and FBG levels was investigated using repeated measurements anova. RESULTS: The grouping of baseline GGT levels affected the changes in blood glucose during the 6‐year follow‐up study. In the GGT quartile subgroups, the annual mean increase in FBG levels showed a positive relationship with baseline GGT levels. This trend was even more aggregated in the highest baseline GGT group. Interactions among time course, baseline FBG and GGT groups in different participants together affected the change of FBG levels during the follow‐up period. The repeated measures anova suggested that different baseline GGT groups were still significantly associated with increased FBG levels. GGT is a risk factor that affects FBG levels(P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The annual mean increase in FBG levels showed a positive relationship with baseline GGT levels. Higher baseline GGT levels resulted in a faster annual mean increase in FBG. Thus, GGT can be used for the early detection of FBG‐related disorders of glucose metabolism for clinical application.