Abstract
BackgroundHigh blood pressure is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular events, and the incidence of hypertension is increasing among young people. This study investigated the relationship between ALT and AST levels and hypertension among freshmen in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in the Anhui Province from September to November 2018. A total of 3114 freshmen underwent a physical examination including testing of biochemical indicators and a standardized questionnaire.ResultsThe overall prevalence of elevated ALT and AST were 6.8% and 2.3% among freshmen. The mean ALT and AST levels were higher in males (22.59 ± 21.98 vs.12.62 ± 10.30 U/L; 23.55 ± 12.24 vs. 20.02 ± 5.75 U/L, respectively). The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in men (16.1%) than in women (1.9%). The mean values of BMI, SBP, DBP, TC, TG, and LDL-C were found to be increased with elevated levels of serum ALT and AST in the quartiles (P for trend < 0.05). After adjusting for covariates, the risk of hypertension was significantly higher in the highest ALT quartile than in the lowest quartile (OR (95% CI) of 1.681 (1.028, 2.751) in males; 2.802 (1.102, 7.124) in females). A strong linear relationship was found between serum ALT levels and the odds of hypertension after adjustment for potential confounders only in total population and females (P for trend < 0.05).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that ALT level is significantly associated with hypertension both in male and female freshmen.
Highlights
High blood pressure is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular events, and the incidence of hypertension is increasing among young people
Previous work from the Framingham Heart Study found that increased Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were associated with elevated blood pressure, and higher Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were correlated with higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) [8]
The mean values of Body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), DBP, total cholesterol (TC), TG, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were found to be increased with elevated levels of serum ALT and AST in the quartiles
Summary
High blood pressure is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular events, and the incidence of hypertension is increasing among young people. This study investigated the relationship between ALT and AST levels and hypertension among freshmen in China. High blood pressure is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular events. Hypertension is traditionally more prevalent in older people, recent epidemiological studies have shown an increased prevalence of risk. A 12-year Korean Cohort Study reported that progression to hypertension was associated with frequent drinking and high ALT levels among men [7]. Inconsistent with previous studies, Gupta et al [9] reported no significant relationship in the ALT and AST levels of normal, prehypertensive, and hypertensive individuals. There are scarce earlier studies of this association among young people
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