Regular alcohol consumption improves insulin resistance in healthy Japanese men independent of obesity.
BACKGROUND
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the relationship between alcohol consumption and insulin resistance. This association may be further confounded by the presence of obesity. We aimed to clarify whether regular alcohol consumption improves insulin resistance in healthy Japanese men and whether obesity affects this relationship.


METHODS
We examined 1029 men (ages 24 to 87 y) who had undergone medical checkups. They were divided into non-obese (body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m(2)) or obese subjects (BMI > or =25 kg/m(2)) and further classified into non-regular drinkers (NRD), moderate drinkers (MD; 1-6 days/week), and daily drinkers (DD; 7 days/week). The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and other cardiac risk factors were compared between the groups.


RESULTS
In both non-obese and obese men, alcohol consumption decreased HOMA-IR in a dose-dependent manner, although HOMA-IR was about 2 times greater in obese men compared to non-obese men in any category (p<0.001). Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that alcohol consumption was the independent negative risk factor for HOMA-IR [OR, 0.576 (95% C.I. 0.402-0.824), p=0.003] after adjusting for age, BMI, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and liver dysfunction.


CONCLUSIONS
Regular alcohol consumption improves insulin resistance in healthy Japanese men independent of obesity.
Fueki
Yuriko
Y
Division of Clinical Preventive Medicine, Department of Community Preventive Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Asahimachi 1-757, Niigata, Japan.
Miida
Takashi
T
Wardaningsih
Elfi
E
Ito
Masayuki
M
Nakamura
Akira
A
Takahashi
Akihiro
A
Hanyu
Osamu
O
Tsuda
Akiko
A
Saito
Hisashi
H
Hama
Hitoshi
H
Okada
Masahiko
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism*; D044466:Asian People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007328:Insulin; D000431:Ethanol