Researchers studied whether liver function biomarkers could improve predictions for hard atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. They analyzed data from US and Chinese adults in the NHANES and CHARLS cohorts over a 10-year period.
The study focused on biomarkers like gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and globulin. It found an independent linear association between GGT and a higher 10-year hard ASCVD risk. The link was partly mediated by blood pressure, blood sugar (HbA1c), and cholesterol levels.
A predictive model using these biomarkers improved accuracy, with an AUC of 0.751. No safety concerns were reported, as the study did not test any treatments. The main reason to be careful is that this shows an association, not a cause, and the findings need more validation.
Realistically, this suggests liver biomarkers might help identify people at higher heart disease risk when added to existing models, but it does not change current medical practice.