title: Light to moderate alcohol consumption is protective for type 2 diabetes mellitus in normal weight and overweight individuals but not the obese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) overall and by body mass index.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of employed individuals. Daily alcohol intakes were calculated from a self-administered food frequency questionnaire by 5,512 Maori, Pacific Island, and European workers (3,992 men, 1520 women) aged 40 years and above.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 170 new cases of T2DM. Compared to the group with no alcohol consumption and adjusting for age, sex, and ethnicity, the group consuming alcohol had relative risks of T2DM of 0.23 (95% CI: 0.08, 0.65) in normal weight individuals, 0.38 (0.18, 0.81) in overweight individuals, and 0.99 (0.59, 1.67) in obese individuals. After further adjusting for total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, smoking habit, physical activity, socioeconomic status, body mass index, and hypertension, the relative risks of T2DM were 0.16 (0.05, 0.50) in normal weight individuals, 0.43 (0.19, 0.97) in overweight individuals, and 0.92 (0.52, 1.60) in overweight individuals. Across the categories of alcohol consumption, there was an approximate U-shaped relationship for new cases of T2DM. There was no significant association between alcohol consumption and IGT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol consumption was protective against diagnosis of T2DM in normal and overweight individuals but not in the obese.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand ; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Robert K R
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Scragg
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D013851:Thinness / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides