title: Apolipoprotein E polymorphism modifies the alcohol-HDL association observed in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) allele epsilon4 is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The presence of the epsilon4 allele has been associated with lower concentrations of HDL cholesterol, but it is not known whether the epsilon4 allele modifies the association between alcohol consumption and HDL-cholesterol concentrations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to assess whether the epsilon4 allele modifies the association between alcohol consumption and HDL-cholesterol concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional design, we studied 670 men and women aged 26-78 y who participated in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study to assess whether the epsilon4 allele of the gene APOE modifies the association between alcohol consumption and HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Alcohol data were self-reported, and we used multivariate, generalized estimating equations to assess interactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a model with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, exercise, waist-hip ratio, TV viewing, and study site, there was a significant effect of the interaction between the epsilon4 allele and alcohol consumption on HDL cholesterol (P=0.0001). In the absence of the epsilon4 allele, multivariate adjusted means of HDL were 1.24, 1.36, and 1.54 mmol/L among subjects who never drank and those who currently drink 0.1-12 and >12 g alcohol/d, respectively; in the presence of the epsilon4 allele, the corresponding values were 1.19, 1.27, and 1.25 mmol/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show a significant effect of the interaction between the epsilon4 allele and alcohol consumption on HDL. The increase in HDL associated with alcohol appears to be stronger in subjects without the epsilon4 allele than in those with the epsilon4 allele.
authors.affiliation: Section of Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology, Evans Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. ldjousse@bu.edu
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Djoussé
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pankow
authors.forename: Donna K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Arnett
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Eckfeldt
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: R Curtis
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ellison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D000483:Alleles; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012907:Smoking; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL