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Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology)  2013, Vol. 14 Issue (8): 743-748    DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1200330
Articles     
Factors underlying the association of body mass index with serum ALT in Chinese hypertensive adults without known hepatic diseases
Yan Zhang, Xian-hui Qin, Jian-ping Li, Yi-min Cui, Ze-yuan Liu, Zhi-gang Zhao, Jun-bo Ge, De-ming Guan, Jian Hu, Yan-ni Wang, Fu-min Zhang, Xin Xu, Xi-ping Xu, Yong Huo
Department of Cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; Department of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Academy of Military Medical Sciences of China, Beijing 100071, China; Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China; Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Cardiology, the First Clinical Medical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China; Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China; Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China; Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Guangdong Institute of Nephrology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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Abstract  Objective: High body mass index (BMI) is considered as the most important risk factor for elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration. This study examined an array of factors, including waist circumference (WC) and folate deficiency, which may mediate the association of BMI with serum ALT concentration in Chinese hypertensive adults without known hepatic diseases. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 378 patients with mild or moderate hypertension and without known hepatic diseases were recruited from five hospitals in Harbin, Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, and Nanjing. Results: Of the 360 hypertensive patients with complete data in our final analysis, 13.6% had high ALT concentrations (>40 IU/L). Factors including BMI, WC, triglyceride level, and folate concentration were associated with ALT concentration in univariate analysis. Consistently higher prevalence rates of elevated ALT were observed in subjects with lower folate concentrations (≥12 vs. <12 nmol/L, 9.9% vs. 17.8%, P=0.03), with higher BMI (≥28 vs. <28 kg/m2, 21.5% vs. 11.4%, P=0.02) or higher WC (≥90 vs. <90 cm, 18.5% vs. 10.0%, P=0.02). However, in multivariate analysis, the association between BMI and ALT concentration disappeared (P=0.802 in males and 0.369 in females), while WC in females (P<0.001) and folate concentration (P=0.036 in males and 0.044 in females) remained as significant predictors for ALT concentration. Conclusions: This multicenter study demonstrated that WC and low folate concentration were important factors underlying the association between BMI and ALT concentrations in Chinese hypertensive adults without known hepatic diseases.

Key wordsAlanine aminotransferase (ALT)      Body mass index (BMI)      Waist circumference (WC)      Folate     
Received: 26 November 2012      Published: 30 July 2013
CLC:  R544.1  
Cite this article:

Yan Zhang, Xian-hui Qin, Jian-ping Li, Yi-min Cui, Ze-yuan Liu, Zhi-gang Zhao, Jun-bo Ge, De-ming Guan, Jian Hu, Yan-ni Wang, Fu-min Zhang, Xin Xu, Xi-ping Xu, Yong Huo. Factors underlying the association of body mass index with serum ALT in Chinese hypertensive adults without known hepatic diseases. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology), 2013, 14(8): 743-748.

URL:

http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-b/10.1631/jzus.B1200330     OR     http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-b/Y2013/V14/I8/743

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