Association between alanine aminotransferase within the normal range and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A nationwide cohort study.

Background and aimWe sought to determine the association between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the normal range and mortality in the absence of liver dysfunction to better understand ALT's clinical significance beyond liver injury and inflammation.MethodsA cohort of 2,708 male and 3,461 female adults aged 20-75 years without liver dysfunction (ALTResultsRelative to males in the lowest quartile (Q1), males in the highest quartile (Q4) had 44% decreased risk of all-cause mortality (aHR [95% CI]: 0.56 [0.42, 0.74]). Females in Q4 had 45% decreased risk of all-cause mortality (aHR [95% CI]: 0.55 [0.40, 0.77]). Males with BMI ConclusionALT within the normal range was inversely associated with all-cause mortality in U.S. adults.