Raised Liver Test Results Predict Heart Problems in Women

Robert W. Griffith, MD

Any abnormal test result is disturbing, but when it suggests two problems rather than one, it's even more worrying. A report from the Digestive Disease Week meeting describes how raised liver enzyme test levels can be associated with angiography findings in procedures done for suspected coronary artery disease.

630 men and women having coronary angiography had their aminotransferase levels measured (AST, ALT, formerly SGOT, SGPT). Also their C-reactive protein (CRP). The risk of severe coronary artery disease was almost 4 times greater in women with a high ALT/AST ratio than in women with lower levels. But this was not the case with men. CRP did not show the same effect.

The Iranian investigator, Dr P. Adibi, had no explanation for the gender difference found. But, as he said, "There are many differences in the causes of coronary disease between men and women."

This finding will doubtless stimulate research into the reason for the effect, and whether liver function tests should be done more widely.

Source
HealthandAge Blog