Serum γ‐Glutamyl Transpeptidase Levels and Hypertension in Non‐drinkers: A Possible Role of Fatty Liver in the Pathogenesis of Obesity Related Hypertension

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Abstract
The relationships between increases in body mass index (BMI) and increases in hypertension were compared between non‐drinkers with elevated serum γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (γ‐GTP) levels (≥50 U/I) and those with normal levels, who comprised 10,952 men and 22,107 women aged 40–59 years recruited from an occupational health clinic. Hypertension was found in 16.1% and 13.5% of the men and women, and elevated serum γ‐GTP was found in 10.8% and 2.8% of the men and women, respectively. The prevalences of hypertension and elevated serum y‐GTP levels were both increased with increased BMI. Hypertension was, however, shown to be 1.5 times more prevalent in the persons with elevated serum γ‐GTP levels than in those with normal levels in both sexes, even after adjusting for BMI by a multiple logistic analysis. It can be concluded that elevations of serum γ‐GTP, which are probably a reflection of fatty liver in the non‐drinkers, are closely related to the development of hypertension associated with increased obesity.