I just got my blood results back from the doctor checking my liver and now I see my GCT is 77..what does this mean?? My glucose was normal 3 weeks ago and now this GCT is at 77..isn't that like diabetes? anyone's help is appreciated..I feel like i am falling apart..I started out going to the doctors for heart palps, and then sent to a cardio for a monitor, and then had my blood work done only to find out my liver enzymes were up, and then was sent for a CT scan only to find out i have a fatty liver, and then sent to GI man who had more liver functions done only to see this GCT is 77..i see him today i am hoping that he tells me not to sweat any of this but i am..help, Lisa

A GCT of 77 does not appear to be abnormal. If anything, it is on the low side indicating possible hyperinsulinemia (excessive release of insulin - some estimates indicate 25% of the population may be hyperinsulinemic).

I did a quick google search and here is what I found regarding GCT:

Glucose Challenge Test

Also known as: GCT; 50 gram glucose challenge; one-hour glucose screening test.

What is it?: A screening test that measures blood glucose levels one hour after 50 grams of a glucose solution has been consumed (an extremely sweet drink). If the GCT is elevated, it indicates the need for further testing.

Why is it performed?: To screen for gestational diabetes in pregnant women considered "at risk."

How frequently should it be done?: Once. If results are abnormal and glucose levels elevated, it should be followed up by a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

What is the "normal" range for results?: Normal values are 140 mg/dl or less.

What do abnormal results mean?: A glucose threshold value >140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/l) means that gestational diabetes is a possibility and an OGTT is indicated.

Thanks Arkie but they did not give me anything to drink like this write up you posted said..They did a 12 hr fast on all my liver functions AND i SAW THIS WAS ELEVATED..I'm sure it's nothing I hope anyway..thanks for the info, Lisa

Originally posted by Moxie75:
Thanks Arkie but they did not give me anything to drink like this write up you posted said..They did a 12 hr fast on all my liver functions AND i SAW THIS WAS ELEVATED..I'm sure it's nothing I hope anyway..thanks for the info, Lisa

Sounds like all you had was a fasting glucose measurement taken in addition to a liver panel. Optimum fasting glucose levels are about 70 to 90 mg/dl. If yours was 77, then that is completely normal. Fasting bloodsugar (glucose) levels aren't normally flagged on a blood test as being high until they exceed 110 mg/dl which is considered Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) or above 125 mg/dl which is considered diabetes.

Were these tests performed under some type of health insurance? I wonder if you doctor might have billed the insurance for a Glucose Challenge Test (GCT) when all they checked was a fasting glucose measurement? I'm sure that a GCT is much more costly than just a fasting glucose check. I would ask your doctor about this GCT including what exactly it involves and what a level of 77 means.


[This message has been edited by arkie6 (edited 06-11-2003).]

Arkie, I feel like an idiot..I went to the doctor yesterday and asked why did you do a GCT when you were testing my liver? He replied " we did a GGT not a GCT..I could not make out clearly all the letters of the results so in fact it is not my glucose...thanks for your help anyway, Lisa

Ok, that changes everything, lol.

GGT is gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, a liver enzyme. When this is elevated it usually indicates partial blockage or inflammation of the bile ducts. From what I have gathered, the normal range of GGT is from 5 IU/L to 80 IU/L. So, while a value of 77 is a little on the high side, it doesn’t appear to be excessively high.

Possible causes of elevated GGT: Obesity, fatty liver, heavy drinking, liver inflammation from medications (in particular pain relievers such as Tylenol, Ibuprofin, etc.) and certain herbs, gallstones or gall bladder problems, and cholesterol lowering medications (statins).

It sounds like your slightly elevated GGT may be due to the fatty liver condition. For more info on this, just do a google.com search for ggt liver enzyme.

You the man/woman Arkie,

thanks for all the good info!!, Lisa