Alcohol intake, reproductive hormones, and menstrual cycle function: a prospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Although habitual low-to-moderate alcohol intake has been linked with reduced all-cause mortality and morbidity, the effect of recent alcohol intake on female reproductive function has not been clearly established.


OBJECTIVE
We assessed the relation between acute alcohol consumption, reproductive hormones, and markers of menstrual cycle dysfunction including sporadic anovulation, irregular cycle length, luteal phase deficiency, long menses, and heavy blood loss.


METHODS
A total of 259 healthy, premenopausal women from Western New York were followed for ≤2 menstrual cycles (2005-2007) and provided fasting blood specimens during ≤8 visits/cycle and four 24-h dietary recalls/cycle. Linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between previous day's alcohol intake and hormone concentrations, whereas Poisson regression was used to assess RR of cycle-average alcohol intake and menstrual cycle function.


RESULTS
For every alcoholic drink consumed, the geometric mean total and free estradiol, total and free testosterone, and luteinizing hormone were higher by 5.26% (95% CI: 1.27%, 9.41%), 5.82% (95% CI: 1.81%, 9.99%), 1.56% (95% CI: 0.23%, 2.90%), 1.42% (95% CI: 0.02%, 2.84%), and 6.18% (95% CI: 2.02%, 10.52%), respectively, after adjustment for age, race, percentage of body fat, perceived stress, pain-medication use, sexual activity, caffeine, and sleep. Binge compared with nonbinge drinking (defined as reporting ≥4 compared with <4 drinks/d, respectively) was associated with 64.35% (95% CI: 18.09%, 128.71%) and 63.53% (95% CI: 17.41%, 127.73%) higher total and free estradiol. No statistically significant associations were shown between cycle-average alcohol intake and menstrual cycle function.


CONCLUSIONS
Although recent moderate alcohol intake does not appear to have adverse short-term effects on menstrual cycle function, including sporadic anovulation, potential protective and deleterious long-term effects of alterations in reproductive hormones on other chronic diseases warrant additional investigation.
Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
Karen C
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1771-3157
KC
Schliep
Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research and Program of Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD;
Shvetha M
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2178-6623
SM
Zarek
Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
Enrique F
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3757-641X
EF
Schisterman
Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY; and.
Jean
J
Wactawski-Wende
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City College of New York, New York, NY.
Maurizio
M
Trevisan
Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
Lindsey A
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0539-8110
LA
Sjaarda
Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
Neil J
NJ
Perkins
Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research and mumfords@mail.nih.gov.
Sunni L
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0133-3176
SL
Mumford
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000858:Anovulation / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000097:blood*; D011939:Mental Recall; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009518:New York; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone
alcohol; estradiol; menstrual cycle; ovulation; progesterone