title: Endothelial function is impaired in relation to alcohol intake even in the case of light alcohol consumption in Asian men; Flow-mediated Dilation Japan (FMD-J) Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heavy drinking should be a predictor of endothelial dysfunction. However, there is little information on the effects of light to moderate alcohol consumption on endothelial function. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of dose-dependent alcohol consumption on endothelial function.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in 2734 men aged 21-81years who provided information on alcohol intake at 3 general hospitals. The subjects were divided into 5 groups; non-drinkers (0g/week), light drinkers (>0 to 140g/week), moderate drinkers (>140 to 280g/week), heavy drinkers (>280 to 420g/week), and excessive heavy drinkers (>420g/week).
  
  
  RESULTS
  FMD showed a gradual decrease in accordance with alcohol consumption in the entire study population (non-drinkers, 6.6±3.4%; light drinkers, 6.2±3.0%; moderate drinkers, 6.0±3.0%; heavy drinkers, 5.5±2.9%; excessive heavy drinkers, 5.3±3.0%; P<0.001). There was a significant difference in FMD between the light alcohol drinker group and the non-drinker group (P=0.015). After adjustment for other risk factors, the odds of having FMD in the lowest quartile was found to be significantly increased in the 4 drinker groups than in the non-drinker group: light (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.75), moderate (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.82), heavy (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.46 to 2.87), excessive (OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.43 to 2.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that FMD is impaired in relation to alcohol consumption and that FMD is significantly smaller even in light alcohol drinkers than in non-drinkers. Alcohol intake per se may be harmful for vascular function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.affiliation: Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kajikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruhashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chayama
authors.affiliation: Hiroshima International University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aibara
authors.affiliation: Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayumu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.affiliation: Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Tokorozawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Bonpei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamashina
authors.affiliation: Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. Electronic address: yhigashi@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yukihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular events; Endothelial function; Flow-mediated vasodilation