Eating quickly is associated with a low aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio in middle-aged adults: a large-scale cross-sectional survey in Japan

An elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and a low aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to ALT ratio (AST/ALT ratio) suggest nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, increasing the risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, eating quickly has been found to be associated with outcomes such as obesity. This study sought to investigate the relationship between eating quickly and an elevated ALT or a low AST/ALT ratio in Japanese middle-aged adults. The present study included 283,073 adults aged 40-64 years who had annual health checkups in Japan from April 2013 to March 2014. The data of serum parameters and lifestyle factors, including eating speed, were analyzed. An elevated ALT was defined as > 40 U/L, and a low AST/ALT ratio was defined as