The effects of low Km aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) phenotype on drinking behavior in Japanese university students.
OBJECTIVE
The present study investigated the relationship between a history of a flushing reaction and drinking behavior in Japanese university students, adjusting for the effects of alcohol-related psychosocial factors including academic year, school division, club membership and housing situation.


METHODS
In 1995, 419 men and 321 women at Kyoto University were enrolled in a study using informed consent. Subjects were classified as nonflushers or flushers by using a self-reported measure, the ALST (Alcohol Sensitivity Screening Test). Alcohol drinking behavior during the last year, including drinking frequency, alcohol intake per occasion and problem drinking behavior, was investigated.


RESULTS
Compared with male flushers, male nonflushers showed a 1.8 times higher frequency of drinking with family members (p < .01) and drank significantly larger amounts of alcohol with family members (p < .05). Male nonflushers drank significantly larger amounts of alcohol with friends than did male flushers (p < .0001) and showed significantly heavier mean alcohol consumption per month than male flushers did (p < .001). Compared with male flushers, male nonflushers showed a 1.7 times higher rate of high-problem drinking (p < .01). In contrast, none of these drinking behaviors differed between female nonflushers and female flushers.


CONCLUSIONS
Even after adjusting for aspects of alcohol-related psychosocial factors, flushing reactions among Japanese university students were significantly related to drinking behavior in men but not in women.
Sobue
Ikuko
I
Department of Social and Environment Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
Takeshita
Tatsuya
T
Maruyama
Soichiro
S
Morimoto
Kanehisa
K
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics*; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D005260:Female; D005483:Flushing / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D007527:Isoenzymes; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial