title: Heavy Alcohol Consumption is Associated with Impaired Endothelial Function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have reported that moderate alcohol consumption is protective against cardiovascular disease, but heavy alcohol consumption increases its risk. Endothelial dysfunction is hypothesized to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, few population-based studies have examined a potential effect of alcohol consumption on endothelial function.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 404 men aged 30-79 years who were recruited from residents in 2 communities under the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study in 2013 and 2014. We asked the individuals about the frequency and volume of alcohol beverages and converted the data into grams of ethanol per day. Endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) measurements during reactive hyperemia. We performed cross-sectional analysis of alcohol consumption and %FMD by logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, baseline brachial artery diameter, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HbA1c, smoking, antihypertensive medication use, and community.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals who drank ≥ 46 g/day ethanol had a lower age-adjusted mean %FMD than non-drinkers (p＜0.01). Compared with non-drinkers, the age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval) of low %FMD (＜5.3%) for former, light (＜23.0 g/day ethanol), moderate (23.0-45.9 g/day ethanol), and heavy (≥ 46.0 g/day ethanol) drinkers were 1.61 (0.67-3.89), 0.84 (0.43-1.66), 1.09 (0.52-2.25), and 2.99 (1.56-5.70), respectively. The corresponding multivariable-adjusted ORs were 1.76 (0.69-4.50), 0.86 (0.42-1.76), 0.98 (0.45-2.12), and 2.39 (1.15-4.95), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heavy alcohol consumption may be an independent risk factor of endothelial dysfunction in Japanese men.
authors.affiliation: Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Aoi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Renzhe
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Keyang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imano
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiyama
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000032:analysis; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL