title: Association of blood pressure levels with the effects of alcohol intake on the vasculature in Japanese men.
abstract: The association of blood pressure levels with the effects of alcohol intake on the vasculature has not been clarified. We evaluated the differential effects of alcohol intake on the vasculature of subjects with optimal or normal blood pressure (ONbp) and those with high normal blood pressure or higher (HNHbp) in a 6-year follow-up study. The pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured on three occasions at an interval of 3 years in 1185 middle-aged Japanese men (age 41+/-8 years). In subjects with ONbp (n=677), a U-shaped relationship between alcohol intake (non-drinker, and light-to-moderate and heavy alcohol intake groups) and the increase in the adjusted value of PWV was observed at the end of 6 years' observation. On the other hand, in subjects with HNHbp (n=508), a U-shaped relationship was not observed. At the end of 6 years' observation, the increase in PWV was significantly more in the heavy intake group than in the light-to-moderate intake group or the non-drinker group, even after adjustment for changes in blood pressure and prescribed medication (P<0.01). In conclusion, blood pressure levels may modulate the effects of alcohol intake on the vasculature in middle-aged Japanese subjects. In subjects with ONbp, light-to-moderate alcohol intake appeared to have a possible vasculoprotective effect; on the other hand, in subjects with NHNbp, heavy alcohol intake seemed to exert a detrimental effect on the vasculature.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Chisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
authors.forename: Jiko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiina
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamashina
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D007564:Japan; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects