Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) is the marker of the cardiovascular (CV) risk assessed by the SCORE system and early arterial damage.

Methods. Serum levels of γ-GT, lipid profile, inflammatory markers and plasma glucose of 209 subjects (40–65 years old, 97 males) without clinically overt cardiovascular disease were checked. CV risk was evaluated by SCORE system. Parameters of arterial stiffness – aortic augmentation index (AIx/HR) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWV) - were obtained by applanation tonometry. Endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery and carotid IMT were assessed using high resolution B-mode ultrasonography.

Results: We found that SCORE system is associated with the γ-GT. SCORE risk significantly increased with each quartile of γ-GT (ANOVA, p=0.003). γ-GT was significantly higher in high (≥5%) vs. low (<5%) CV risk groups (43.82±48.31 vs. 24.55±22.66, p<0.0001). In the univariate analysis γ-GT was significantly associated with the FMD in the brachial artery (p=0.025), carotid-radial PWV (p=0.042) and the presence of the carotid plaques (CP) (p=0.002). The multiple regression analysis revealed that only gender (beta = −0.28, p<0.001), age (beta = 0.301, p<0.001) and triglycerides (beta = −0,147, p=0.046) were associated with FMD. PWV was independently associated with gender (beta = −0.319, p<0.001), glucose (beta = 0.248, p=0.001) and age (beta = 0.218, p=0.003).

Conclusions: The study suggests that serum γ-GT is a surrogate marker of CV risk. Elevation of γ-GT is associated with the increased endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness and carotid plaques, but not in the independent manner.