Heart Health
GGT / HDL Ratio
What This Marker Tells Us
Combines a liver enzyme reflecting oxidative stress and inflammation with protective HDL cholesterol, creating a powerful predictor of metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular risk.
Why It Matters
Detects metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease risk years before standard markers show problems. GGT rises with liver inflammation, oxidative stress, and alcohol consumption. HDL protects against arterial plaque formation. Their combination reveals the balance between inflammatory damage and protective factors. High ratios predict heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and mortality better than either marker alone. It captures systemic metabolic health in one number.
How to Interpret Your Trends
Low ratios indicate excellent metabolic health with minimal inflammation and robust HDL protection. Typical ratios suggest balanced metabolic function without significant risk. High ratios signal metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, fatty liver disease, or excessive alcohol consumption. This combination dramatically increases cardiovascular risk and often appears before glucose or blood pressure abnormalities.
What Influences This Marker
Alcohol consumption, obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation elevate GGT while suppressing HDL. Oxidative stress from poor diet, inadequate sleep, and chronic stress worsens the ratio. Exercise, weight loss, Mediterranean diet patterns, reduced alcohol intake, and improved sleep lower GGT and raise HDL, optimizing the ratio.
How Your Team Uses It
Your coach uses this ratio to assess overall metabolic health, prioritize lifestyle interventions, and track progress. High ratios prompt comprehensive metabolic optimization including nutrition overhaul, exercise prescription, stress management, and sleep improvement. Trending improvements confirm intervention effectiveness before weight or other markers change.
Related Signals We Also Review
GGT, HDL, triglycerides, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, and body composition complete the metabolic syndrome assessment.