Association between Liver Dysfunction and Hyperglycemia in Japanese Male Workers at Printing and Papermaking Plants

This cohort study investigated the association between liver dysfunction and two types of impaired glucose metabolism, i. e. , hyperglycemia (HG) and quasi-diabetes mellitus (quasi-DM) (quasi-DM was treated as a subset of HG). Accordingly, the study consists of a quasi-DM study and an HG study. Study subjects were middle-aged male workers at printing and paper-making plants who participated in both 1 993 and 1 997 annual health checkups. In the quasi-DM study, the number of subjects was I , 422. A Iogistic regression model revealed that liver dysfunction (AST>401U// and/ or ALT>401U// andlor GGT>801U//) and obesity (BMl>=25 kg/m2) jn 1993 were associated with an increased risk of having quasi-DM in 1997 (odds ratio (OR) for liver dysfunction = 2. I , 95％ confidence inteNal (Cl): I . 1-4. 1 ; OR for obesity = 2. 0, 95％Cl: I . 0-4. 0). For alcohol intake, the relationship was positive for former drinkers and negative for current drinkers (for former drinkers, OR=2. 7, 95％Cl: 0. 86-8. 6, and for current drinkers, OR=0. 39, 95％Cl: 0. 1 9-0. 81). Age and smoking status did not show a meaningful association. In the HG study, the number of subjects was I , 254. In an analysis identical to that of the quasi-DM study, we found that liver dysfunction and obesity in 1 993 was associated with an increased risk of having HG in 1 997 (for liver dysfunction, OR=1 . 8, 95％Cl: I . 2-2. 7, and for obesity OR=1 . 6, 95％Cl: I . 0-2. 4). These analyses suggest that liver dysfunction can be a predictor of impaired glucose metabolism. (J Occup Health 2002, 44: 301-306)