HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Song, H. R. Articles by Park, H. S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Song, H. R. Articles by Park, H. S. Agricola Articles by Song, H. R. Articles by Park, H. S.

Relation between alanine aminotransferase concentrations and visceral fat accumulation among nondiabetic overweight Korean women^1,2

¹ From the Department of Family Medicine, Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Seoul, Korea (HRS), and the Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea (KEY and HSP)

Background:Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is used as a surrogate marker for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is frequently observed among obese subjects. Reported data were scanty about the relation between ALT concentrations and visceral fat accumulation measured by computed tomographic (CT) scanning in a large sample.

Objective:We investigated the association between ALT concentrations and visceral fat accumulation measured by CT scanning, among nondiabetic overweight Korean women.

Design:A cross-sectional study was performed in 903 nondiabetic overweight [body mass index (BMI; in kg/m²) 25] Korean women aged 20–80 y. The area of abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was measured by CT scan. Anthropometric and cardiometabolic variables were measured.

Results:Elevated ALT (>40 IU/L) concentrations were found in 14.9% of the subjects. ALT concentrations were significantly correlated with all anthropometric and cardiometabolic variables after adjustment for age and alcohol consumption (P < 0.05). The adjusted odds ratios for elevated ALT concentrations according to the quartiles of VAT were 1.51 (95% CI: 0.83, 2.76), 3.16 (95% CI: 1.55, 6.49), and 15.15 (95% CI: 4.57, 50.00) in the second (76.9–102.6 cm²), the third (102.7–135.0 cm²), and the fourth (135.1–382.7 cm²) quartiles, respectively, compared with the first quartile (23.0–76.8 cm²) (P for trend < 0.001). In the multiple linear regression model, the VAT was significantly positively associated with ALT concentrations (standardized β = 0.206, P < 0.001), whereas the regression coefficients of other anthropometric and cardiometabolic variables were not significant.

Conclusions:ALT concentrations have a strong association with visceral fat accumulation, and VAT is the main predictor of elevated ALT concentrations in the context of NAFLD among nondiabetic overweight Korean women.