Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of erosive esophagitis and Barrett's epithelium in Japanese men.
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.
Akiyama
Tomoyuki
T
Gastroenterology Division, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Japan. t066002g@yokohama-cu.ac.jp
Inamori
Masahiko
M
Iida
Hiroshi
H
Mawatari
Hironori
H
Endo
Hiroki
H
Hosono
Kunihiro
K
Yoneda
Kyoko
K
Fujita
Koji
K
Yoneda
Masato
M
Takahashi
Hirokazu
H
Goto
Ayumu
A
Abe
Yasunobu
Y
Kobayashi
Noritoshi
N
Kubota
Kensuke
K
Saito
Satoru
S
Nakajima
Atsushi
A
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