title: Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of erosive esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium in Japanese men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence regarding the association between alcohol consumption and the gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) spectrum has been conflicting. We examined the association between alcohol consumption and erosive esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium in Japanese men.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 463 men subjects who had undergone an upper endoscopy at the Gastroenterology Division of Yokohama City University Hospital between August 2005 and July 2006. The presence of erosive esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium was diagnosed based on the Los Angeles Classification and the Prague C and M Criteria, respectively. We divided the study population into four groups: never drinkers, light drinkers (less than 25.0 g of ethanol per day), moderate drinkers (25.0 to 50.0 g of ethanol per day), and heavy drinkers (more than 50.0 g of ethanol per day). A linear regression of the logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the dose-response trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with never drinkers, light drinkers (less than 25.0 g ethanol per day), moderate drinkers (25.0 to 50.0 g per day), and heavy drinkers (more than 50.0 g per day) had ORs for erosive esophagitis of 1.110 (95% CI: 0.553 - 2.228, p = 0.7688), 1.880 (95% CI: 1.015 - 3.484, p = 0.0445) and 1.988 (95% CI: 1.120 - 3.534, p = 0.0190), respectively. These groups had ORs for Barrett's epithelium of 1.278 (95% CI: 0.752 - 2.170, p = 0.3643), 1.458 (95% CI: 0.873 - 2.433, p = 0.1500), and 1.912 (95% CI: 1.185 - 3.086, p = 0.0079), respectively. The odds ratios/grams (alcohol)/day of dose response trends for erosive esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium were 1.015 (95% CI: 1.004-1.026, p = 0.0066) and 1.012 (95% CI: 1.003-1.021, p = 0.0079), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that alcohol consumption in Japanese men tends to be associated with an increased risk of erosive esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan. t066002g@yokohama-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inamori
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mawatari
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hosono
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Ayumu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Noritoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004724:Endoscopy; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors