GGT Blood Test level and natural ways to lower, cause and treatment by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase enzyme level interpretation GGT is a liver enzyme involved in the transport of amino acids and peptides into cells as well as glutathione metabolism. GGT is mainly found in liver cells and as such is extremely sensitive to alcohol use. Elevated GGT levels may be found in liver disease, alcoholism, obesity, bile-duct obstruction, cholangitis, and drug abuse. Decreased levels can be found in hypothyroidism, hypothalamic malfunction and very low levels of magnesium. Because both chronic alcohol consumption and obesity associated with metabolic abnormalities are increasing in Western societies, the concomitant occurrence of these factors is of considerable interest. In this scenario, advanced liver disease, including inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, may develop more rapidly. The determination of a normal serum GGT activity range needs to be reevaluated and adjusted to BMI to avoid wrong conclusions with respect to alcohol consumption. GGT is an enzyme that metabolizes extracellular glutathione and can be induced by various xenobiotics, drugs, and ethanol. All these compounds, including free fatty acids and acetone, may also induce cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1). GGT stands for gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Another liver test is called ALT. GGT Level in the blood - test values - blood test for a man and woman Normal Adult Female Range: 0 - 45 U/L Normal Adult Male Range: 0 - 65 U/L Elevated GGT level can occur due to obesity. Causes GGT levels can be increased by alcohol phenytoin (Dilantin), an anti-seizure medication, and phenobarbitol, an antiseizure medication and sedative, and

decreased by clofibrate, an anticholesterol drug, and birth control pills.

High GGT levels are associated with liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver tumors, and jaundice, myocardial infarction, pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis and viral infections such as Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Reye's Syndrome. High GGT blood test predicts heart disease Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase predicts non-fatal myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease among 28 838 middle-aged men and women. Eur Heart J. 2006 Jun 13; Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) concentration may be involved in atherosclerosis. This study examined if serum GGT predicted coronary heart disease (CHD), especially differentiating non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and fatal CHD event, among the general population or participants with type-2 diabetes. Conclusion: This study suggests an independent mechanism linking serum GGT to coronary heart disease. Even though the strength of association appeared to be modest among all subjects, stronger associations were observed among subjects aged <60 and among alcohol drinkers. Especially, measurement of serum GGT among type-2 diabetics may be helpful to predict the future risk of CHD. Fatty Liver and elevated GGT

Chronic alcohol consumption as well as overweight and obesity associated with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome are the major factors resulting in fatty liver. Alcoholic fatty liver as well as nonalcoholic fatty liver can progress to more advanced liver disease, including inflammation, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. From a public health perspective, the most successful approach to deal with these liver diseases is early detection and intervention instead of treating the complications of advanced liver disease. Early detection of fatty liver includes its noninvasive verification, mostly done by hepatic ultrasound, and identification of its cause, which includes the patient's history. Because it is sometimes difficult to obtain an exact history of alcohol consumption, laboratory markers of chronic alcohol misuse have been established and are frequently used. One of the best markers for chronic alcohol consumption is serum {gamma}-glutamyl transferase (GGT), which has a relatively high sensitivity and specificity. Because measurement of this enzyme is easy and inexpensive, it has generally been used for early detection of chronic alcohol misuse. However, serum GGT activity loses its specificity for alcohol in more advanced liver disease because its activity is elevated in hepatic inflammation and more advanced liver disease regardless of the cause. Although chronic alcohol consumption is the most frequent cause of elevated serum GGT activity, an increased activity of this enzyme can also be observed under medical treatment and in acute pancreatitis, myocardial infarction, hyperthyroidism, anorexia nervosa, certain muscle diseases, neurological disorders, porphyria cutanea tarda, and some malignancies. Recently, non alcoholic fatty liver disease has become an important issue in the United States and Europe because of the striking increase in overweight and obese persons in these countries. Because these persons frequently also have increased GGT activities, a differentiation between AFL and NAFL on the basis of serum GGT activity is difficult. Furthermore, overweight is sometimes the result of chronic alcohol ingestion, and FL often results from both ethanol consumption and metabolic abnormalities. Serum GGT activity is influenced not only by the amount of alcohol consumed but also by body mass index (BMI) and sex.