title: Inverse association between triglycerides-to-HDL-cholesterol ratio and alcohol drinking in middle-aged Japanese men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Triglycerides-to-high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C ratio) has been proposed to be a useful predictor of cardiovascular disease. Habitual alcohol drinking causes elevation of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels. The purpose of this study was to determine how the TG/HDL-C ratio is influenced by alcohol intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 21,572 Japanese men (age range: 35-60 years) who were divided into non-, light (<22 g ethanol/day), heavy (≥22 but <44 g ethanol/day), and very heavy (≥44 g ethanol/day) drinkers. The relationship between alcohol intake and TG/HDL-C ratio was investigated by using analysis of covariance and logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Log-transformed TG/HDL-C ratio was significantly lower in light, heavy, and very heavy drinkers than in nondrinkers and was lowest in light drinkers. Odds ratios for high TG/HDL-C ratios in light and heavy drinkers versus nondrinkers were significantly lower than a reference level of 1.00 (light drinkers: 0.63, 95% CI [0.57, 0.71],p < .01); heavy drinkers: 0.75, 95% CI [0.69, 0.81],p < .01]). Odds ratios for high waist-to-height ratio of subjects with versus subjects without high TG/HDL-C ratios were significantly higher than the reference level in non-, light, heavy, and very heavy drinkers and were significantly lower in heavy and very heavy drinkers than in nondrinkers (nondrinkers: 3.84 [3.42,4.31]; light drinkers: 3.65 [2.97,4.48]; heavy drinkers: 3.17 [2.84, 3.54],p < .05 compared with nondrinkers; very heavy drinkers: 2.61 [2.29, 2.97],p < .01 compared with nondrinkers).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol drinking is inversely associated with TG/ HDL-C ratio and confounds the relationship between TG/HDL-C ratio and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan. wakabaya@hyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D001827:Body Height; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides