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. 2022 Sep 17;21(2):1699-1708.
doi: 10.1007/s40200-022-01124-x. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Association between liver enzymes and metabolic syndrome in Canadian adults: results from the Canadian health measures survey - cycles 3 &4

Luan Manh Chu  1 , Chandima Karunanayake  1 , Palok Aich  2 , Markus Hecker  3 , Punam Pahwa  1   4
Affiliations

Association between liver enzymes and metabolic syndrome in Canadian adults: results from the Canadian health measures survey - cycles 3 &4

Luan Manh Chu et al. J Diabetes Metab Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The relationship between liver enzymes and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) in different populations, including Canadians, is not consistent and well understood. We used the Canadian Health Measures Survey data (Cycles 3 and 4) to examine the cross-sectional relationships between select liver biomarkers and MetS in the adult Canadian population. The biomarkers selected were gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALKP).

Methods: Fasting blood samples (FBS) were collected from adults above the age of 20 years for Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 (n = 3003). MetS was diagnosed if the subjects had three or more risk determinants according to the Joint Interim Statement criteria. Primary risk factors included quartile cut-offs for each of the biomarkers ALKP, AST, GGT for males and females separately. A multivariable logistic regression technique based on a maximum likelihood approach was used to evaluate the association between quartiles of ALKP, AST, and GGT, other individual and contextual factors, and the prevalence of MetS.

Results: MetS was prevalent in 32.3% of subjects. BMI was an effect modifier in the relationship between GGT and MetS prevalence, while sex was an effect modifier in the relationship between ALKP and MetS prevalence; and age was an effect modifier in the relationship between AST and MetS prevalence.

Conclusions: Since the mechanisms to underpin the associations between the liver enzymes activity and MetS are unknown, further epidemiologic investigations using longitudinal designs are necessary to understand these associations.

Keywords: Adults; Liver enzymes; Metabolic syndrome; Risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare no competing interests. The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, or in the writing of the manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Interaction between BMI and GGT based on the logistic regression of the MetS prevalence in the Canadian population age 20 and older
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Interaction between sex and ALKP based on the logistic regression of the MetS prevalence in the Canadian population age 20 and older
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Interaction between age and AST based on the logistic regression of the MetS prevalence in the Canadian population age 20 and older
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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