Relationship between serum leptin levels and alcohol consumption in a controlled feeding and alcohol ingestion study.
We examined serum leptin levels in a controlled feeding and alcohol ingestion study to elucidate potential mechanisms by which alcohol may affect cancer and immunologically related health risks. A total of 53 healthy, nonsmoking postmenopausal women completed a random-order, three-period crossover design study in which each woman received zero (0 g of alcohol), one (15 g of alcohol), or two (30 g alcohol) drinks per day. After accounting for differences in body mass index, women who consumed 15 or 30 g of alcohol per day had 7.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0% to 15.1%) and 8.9% (95% CI = 1.6% to 16.7%) higher serum leptin levels, respectively (P(trend) =.018), than women who consumed 0 g of alcohol per day. Younger women (i.e., 49-54 years) demonstrated a statistically significantly larger association of alcohol consumption level with the increase in serum leptin levels than older women (i.e., 55-79 years) (24.4%, 95% CI = 9.3% to 42.0% versus 3.7%, 95% CI = -4.1% to 12.1% increase in serum leptin levels for 30 g of alcohol per day relative to 0 g of alcohol per day for the lowest age quartile compared with the three highest age quartiles combined; P =.022). These results indicate that moderate alcohol consumption (15-30 g of alcohol per day) increases serum leptin levels in postmenopausal women and may predispose moderate drinkers to the morbidities associated with chronic elevations of this hormone including cancer.
Roth
Mark J
MJ
Cancer Prevention Studies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA. mr166i@nih.gov
Baer
David J
DJ
Albert
Paul S
PS
Castonguay
Thomas W
TW
Dorgan
Joanne F
JF
Dawsey
Sanford M
SM
Brown
Ellen D
ED
Hartman
Terry J
TJ
Campbell
William S
WS
Giffen
Carol A
CA
Judd
Joseph T
JT
Taylor
Philip R
PR
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D017698:Postmenopause; D012307:Risk Factors
D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin