Association between alcohol consumption and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate concentration in men with Type 2 diabetes: a link to decreased cardiovascular risk.
OBJECTIVE
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Both light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and higher serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are associated with reduced CVD mortality, raising the possibility of DHEA as a causal intermediate in CVD and alcohol consumption.


METHODS
Relationships between alcohol consumption and serum DHEA sulphate (DHEA-S) concentration, carotid atherosclerosis as evaluated by carotid ultrasonography and major cardiovascular risk factors were investigated in 404 consecutive men with Type 2 diabetes. Patients were divided into three groups according to mean ethanol consumption per week: non-drinkers, light-to-moderate drinkers (< 210 g per week) or heavy drinkers (> or = 210 g per week).


RESULTS
Plasma HDL-cholesterol was positively associated with the degree of alcohol consumption. Intima-media thickness (0.92 +/- 0.21 vs. 1.09 +/- 0.35 mm, P < 0.0001) and plaque score (3.0 +/- 3.3 vs. 5.2 +/- 4.9, P = 0.008) were lower in light-to-moderate drinkers than in non-drinkers. Serum DHEA-S concentrations were higher in light-to-moderate drinkers (1264.2 +/- 592.2 ng/ml, P < 0.0001) and heavy drinkers (1176.2 +/- 607.6 ng/ml, P = 0.0100) than in non-drinkers (956.8 +/- 538.6 ng/ml). In a subgroup aged 60-75-year-old patients (n = 277), serum DHEA-S concentrations were higher in light-to-moderate drinkers (1126.8 +/- 502.5 ng/ml, P = 0.0121) than in non-drinkers (937.9 +/- 505.1 ng/ml). Also, in a subgroup without CVD (n = 339), serum DHEA-S concentrations were higher in light-to-moderate drinkers (1328.5 +/- 593.7 ng/ml, P < 0.0001) than in non-drinkers (970.1 +/- 540.7 ng/ml).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher serum DHEA-S concentrations in light-to-moderate drinkers may represent part of the link between light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and lower CVD mortality.
Fukui
M
M
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan. sayarinapm@hotmail.com
Kitagawa
Y
Y
Nakamura
N
N
Kadono
M
M
Hasegawa
G
G
Yoshikawa
T
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate