title: Alcohol consumption and risk of metabolic syndrome: a meta-analysis of prospective studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidemiological evidence suggests that alcohol consumption is related to the incidence and development of metabolic syndrome. However, data on this issue are unstable and controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to provide a quantitative assessment of the association between alcohol intake and risk of metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the Pubmed and Embase databases up to May 2013 to identify prospective cohort studies related to alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome. Summary effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived using a fixed or random effects model, depending on the heterogeneity of the included studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six prospective studies involving 28,862 participants with 3305 cases of metabolic syndrome were included in the meta-analysis. On the basis of the Newcastle Ottawa Scale system, 83.3% of the studies were identified as relatively high-quality. In our primary analysis, compared with nondrinker, very light drinker was associated with decreased risk of metabolic syndrome [pooled relative risk (RR) 0.86, 95% CI: 0.75-0.99, fixed-effect model] while heavy drinker was associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome (pooled RR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.34-2.52, fixed-effect model). No indications of heterogeneity and publication bias were found in these two groups. Estimates of total effects were generally consistent in the sensitivity and stratification analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present meta-analysis of prospective studies suggested that heavy alcohol consumption might be associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome while very light alcohol consumption seemed to be associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 107 Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors: Kan
authors: K
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 107 Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors: Meng
authors: M
authors: Ren
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 107 Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 107 Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chuan
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 107 Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors: Chuan
authors: C
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 107 Yanjiang West Road, Guangzhou 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Yan
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Alcohol; Cohort study; Meta-analysis; Metabolic syndrome