Alcohol Consumption in Relation to Metabolic Regulation, Inflammation, and Adiponectin in 64-Year-Old Caucasian Women

Abstract

OBJECTIVE -The aims of this study were to examine alcohol drinking patterns in women with type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and to investigate whether alcohol intake was associated with improved insulin sensitivity, decreased biomarkers of inflammation, and increased adiponectin levels and if these effects were limited to dysmetabolic women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-From a cohort of 64-year-old Caucasian women, 209 with type 2 diabetes, 205 with IGT, and 186 with NGT were recruited. Alcohol consumption and medication use were assessed by questionnaires. Anthropometric data were collected, and blood glucose, insulin, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and serum adiponectin were measured.RESULTS -Compared with the NGT group, alcohol consumption was lower in the IGT group and lowest in the diabetes group. Mean alcohol intakes of Ͼ9.2 and Ն3-9 g/day were positively associated with adiponectin and insulin sensitivity (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA]), respectively, independently of obesity, metabolic control, and other confounders. Alcohol intake correlated negatively with inflammatory markers, although this did not remain after adjustment for HOMA and waist circumference. The inverse associations between alcohol consumption and factors related to the metabolic syndrome such as HOMA, waist circumference, and inflammatory markers were more obvious among women with diabetes and IGT than in healthy women.CONCLUSIONS -In these women, moderate alcohol consumption showed beneficial associations with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, IGT, insulin sensitivity, and serum adiponectin. There is a need to clarify whether adiponectin may be a mechanistic link and also to clarify the clinical implications of these observations. Diabetes Care 29:908 -913, 2006A lthough extensive alcohol use leads to increased morbidity, it is well established that moderate consumption is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease. Moderate intake of alcohol reduces overall mortality compared with abstaining and heavy drinking (1,2). This benefit may be only partly explained through favorable effects on lipids (3,4). Other potential mechanisms include changes in insulin sensitivity and inflammatory cytokines (4,5).In prospective studies moderate and frequent alcohol intake seems to decrease the incidence of type 2 diabetes (6). Lowered insulin sensitivity is a key factor in the development of type 2 diabetes, and many studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with improved insulin sensitivity (7,8). These associations have been both linear and Ushaped with different upper limits of alcohol intake (8). However, these findings are not totally consistent (9).Inflammatory biomarkers, such as Creactive protein (CRP), predict cardiovascular disease and diabetes (10,11). Subclinical inflammation is probably an important etiological factor for the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (11,12). Howeve...

Alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome among Shanghai adults: A randomized multistage stratified cluster sampling investigation

“…A meta-analysis based largely on the prospective studies suggested that there is a U-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and type 2 diabetes, and moderate alcohol drinkers have the lowest risk of developing type 2 diabetes [31] . However, several cross-sectional evaluations of healthier population have reported higher fasting glucose concentrations and greater risk of diabetes associated with alcohol consumption [31][32][33][34] . Paradoxically, alcohol consumption has also been found to be associated with lower insulin concentrations [8,20] .…”

Chronic Ethanol Consumption Lessens the Gain of Body Weight, Liver Triglycerides, and Diabetes in Obese ob/ob Mice

“…It is interesting that, several in vitro and in vivo investigations showed that ethanol can augment adiponectin expression and secretion in adipocytes, as well as its plasma levels (Wandler et al, 2008;Buechler et al, 2009;Imhof et al, 2009). Furthermore, amelioration of insulin sensitivity and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals drinking moderate amounts of alcohol were associated with increased adiponectin levels (Sierksma et al, 2004;Englund Ogge et al, 2006;Ting and Lautt, 2006;Beulens et al, 2008). Thus, one important mechanism whereby moderate ethanol consumption ameliorates insulin sensitivity could be through increased adiponectin secretion and plasma levels.…”

The Relationship Between Chronic Alcohol Use and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: New Insights into Mechanisms of Appetite-Regulating Peptides

“…A systematic review of studies in Japanese showed that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for DM, whereas moderate drinking is associated with a reduced diabetic risk in higher body mass index (BMI) men in some studies [53]. Although the mediating effects of obesity are supported by a positive association between alcohol intake, adiponectin levels and insulin sensitivity [54,55], more studies will be needed to confirm this issue.…”