title: Protective effect of alcohol consumption for fatty liver but not metabolic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of alcohol on the metabolic syndrome (MS) and fatty liver in Japanese men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in a medical health checkup program at a general hospital. This study involved 18 571 Japanese men and women, 18-88 years of age, with a mean body mass index of 22.6 kg/m(2). A standardized questionnaire was administered. The total amount of alcohol consumed per week was calculated, and categorized into four grades. Fatty liver was examined by ultrasound modified criteria of the revised National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and the new International Diabetes Federation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of fatty liver decreased in men and women with light to moderate alcohol consumption, whereas the prevalence of MS was not so changed. The prevalence of fatty liver of any grade in men was lower than that in those with no or minimal alcohol consumption. In women with light to moderate alcohol consumption, prevalence of fatty liver was lower than that in women with no or minimal alcohol consumption. By logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for MS in women with light alcohol consumption was decreased to < 1.0, but this change was not clear in men. The OR for fatty liver was clearly < 1.0 in men with any level of alcohol consumption and in women with light to moderate consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Light to moderate alcohol consumption has a favorable effect for fatty liver, but not for MS in Japanese men and women.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamaguchi
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohbora
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Michiaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D044466:Asian People; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult