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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 21, 2008; 14(15): 2418-2424
Published online Apr 21, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.2418
Alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome among Shanghai adults: A randomized multistage stratified cluster sampling investigation
Jian-Gao Fan, Xiao-Bu Cai, Lui Li, Xing-Jian Li, Fei Dai, Jun Zhu
Jian-Gao Fan, Xiao-Bu Cai, Jun Zhu, Center for Fatty Liver Disease, Shanghai First People’s Hospital, Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200080, China
Lui Li, Xing-Jian Li, Department of Chronic Disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai 200036, China
Fei Dai, Department of Public Health, Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Author contributions: Fan JG, Li XJ, and Li L designed the research; Dai F, Zhu J, and Li L performed the research; Cai XB and Fan JG contributed to the analytic tools and analyzed the data; and Fan JG wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Professor Jian-Gao Fan, Center for Fatty Liver Disease, Shanghai First People’s Hospital, Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200080, China. fanjiangao@gmail.com
Telephone: +86-21-63240090
Fax: +86-21-63240825
Received: December 5, 2007
Revised: February 1, 2008
Published online: April 21, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To examine the relations of alcohol consumption to the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Shanghai adults.

METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from the randomized multistage stratified cluster sampling of Shanghai adults, who were evaluated for alcohol consumption and each component of metabolic syndrome, using the adapted U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program criteria. Current alcohol consumption was defined as more than once of alcohol drinking per month.

RESULTS: The study population consisted of 3953 participants (1524 men) with a mean age of 54.3 ± 12.1 years. Among them, 448 subjects (11.3%) were current alcohol drinkers, including 405 males and 43 females. After adjustment for age and sex, the prevalence of current alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome in the general population of Shanghai was 13.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Compared with non drinkers, the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension was higher while the prevalence of abdominal obesity, low serum high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and diabetes mellitus was lower in subjects who consumed alcohol twice or more per month, with a trend toward reducing the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Among the current alcohol drinkers, systolic blood pressure, HDL-C, fasting plasma glucose, and prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia tended to increase with increased alcohol consumption. However, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, prevalence of abdominal obesity, low serum HDL-C and metabolic syndrome showed the tendency to decrease. Moreover, these statistically significant differences were independent of gender and age.

CONCLUSION: Current alcohol consumption is associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome irrespe-ctive of alcohol intake (g/d), and has a favorable influence on HDL-C, waist circumference, and possible diabetes mellitus. However, alcohol intake increases the likelihood of hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia. The clinical significance of these findings needs further investigation.

Keywords: Alcohol; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity; Type 2 diabetes; Epidemiology; Chinese