title: Effect of alcohol consumption on risk of hyperhomocysteinemia based on alcohol-related facial flushing response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and hyperhomocysteinemia based on facial flushing caused by drinking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among male patients aged ≥ 18 years who visited Health Promotion Center of Chungnam National University Hospital in Daejeon from January 2008 to December 2010, 948 males (182 nondrinkers, 348 subjects with drinking-related facial flushing, and 418 subjects without drinking-related facial flushing) were selected. After adjusting for confounding factors such as age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, a multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia in the nonfacial flushing and facial flushing groups compared with the nondrinkers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for confounding factors, risk of hyperhomocysteinemia was significantly lower in the group with a weekly alcohol consumption of < 8 standard drinks (1 drink = 14 g alcohol) in the nonfacial flushing group (<4 drinks: odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10 to 0.74; 4≤, <8 drinks: OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.73). Risk of hyperhomocysteinemia was significantly lower in the group with a weekly alcohol consumption < 4 drinks in the facial flushing group (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia is likely lowered by alcohol consumption based on drinking quantity, as lowering the risk of hyperhomocysteinemia differs depending on vulnerability associated with facial flushing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Eo-Chin
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Sung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Gyu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sung-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seok-Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jung-Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ryu
keywords: Alcohol Drinking; Flushing; Homocysteine
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