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Cited 44 time in webofscience Cited 51 time in scopus
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Healthy range for serum ALT and the clinical significance of "unhealthy" normal ALT levels in the Korean population

Authors
Kang, Hyun SeokUm, Soon HoSeo, Yeon SeokAn, HyongginLee, Kwang GyunHyun, Jong JinKim, Eun SunPark, Sung ChulKeum, BoraKim, Ji HoonYim, Hyung JoonJeen, Yoon TaeLee, Hong SikChun, Hoon JaiKim, Chang DuckRyu, Ho Sang
Issue Date
Feb-2011
Publisher
WILEY
Keywords
aminotransferase; insulin resistance; metabolic syndrome; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Citation
JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, v.26, no.2, pp 292 - 299
Pages
8
Indexed
SCI
SCIE
SCOPUS
Journal Title
JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
Volume
26
Number
2
Start Page
292
End Page
299
URI
https://scholarworks.korea.ac.kr/kumedicine/handle/2020.sw.kumedicine/13737
DOI
10.1111/j.1440-1746.2010.06481.x
ISSN
0815-9319
1440-1746
Abstract
Background and Aims: It remains unclear whether the currently-used normal range for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels really reflects a healthy liver. The present study was conducted to evaluate the healthy range of serum ALT in the Korean adult population and to determine the clinical significance of unhealthy levels. Methods: We reviewed the medical records, including questionnaires and the results of laboratory and radiological tests conducted at the Health Promotion Center at Korea University Anam Hospital between March 2005 and February 2007. The records, written in questionnaire form, included baseline data, such as physical status, social behaviors, medication history, and past and present disease histories. Results: The mean age of the 7403 enrolled patients was 48 years, and 49.9% of these patients were male. A healthy cohort was selected after excluding patients who showed any abnormalities of the factors that were significantly associated with the serum ALT level upon multivariate regression analysis. The upper limit of the healthy range of the serum ALT level (i.e. 95th percentile) in the healthy population was 31 IU/L for males and 23 IU/L for females. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance (IR) were significantly higher in patients with an 'unhealthy' normal ALT level than in those with a healthy ALT level. Conclusion: In our study, the upper limit of the healthy range of the serum ALT level was 31 IU/L for males and 23 IU/L for females. An unhealthy normal ALT level was associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome and IR.
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Jeen, Yoon Tae
Anam Hospital (Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Anam Hospital)
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