Background
the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an inflammatory disorder predisposes to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to analyze the prevalence and associations of MetS in patients with alcohol use disorder.
Methods
cross-sectional study in heavy drinkers admitted for treatment of alcohol use disorder between 2013 and 2017. Medical comorbidity, anthropometric data, alcohol use and biological parameters were obtained at admission. MetS was established according to the harmonized definition of 2009. Logistic regression models were used to analyze associations of MetS.
Results
728 patients (22% women) were included; median age was 47 years (IQR:40-53.5) and median alcohol consumption was 160 g/day (IQR:115–240). Overall, 9.2%, 26.7%, and 6.8% of the patients had type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and CVD, respectively. BMI was 25.0 kg/m2 (IQR:22.1–28.7) and prevalence of MetS was 13.9%. The multivariate analysis showed a significant dose-response effect of estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) and MetS: relative to patients with eGFR > 90 mL/min, those with eGFR (60–90 mL/min) and those with eGFR < 60 mL/min were 1.93 times (95% CI: 1.18–3.15) and 5.61 times (95% CI: 1.66-19.0) more likely to have MetS, respectively. In addition, MetS was significantly associated with hyperuricemia (OR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.36–3.82) and elevated serum GGT (OR = 3.67, 95% CI: 1.80–7.46). Furthermore, for every increase of 1 year in age, the probability of MetS increased significantly (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05).
Conclusions
MetS in heavy drinkers is independently associated with reduced kidney function and metabolic risk factors including hyperuricemia and elevated serum GGT.