Protective effect of alcohol consumption for fatty liver but not metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the effect of alcohol on the metabolic syndrome (MS) and fatty liver in Japanese men and women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a medical health checkup program at a general hospital. This study involved 18 571 Japanese men and women, 18-88 years of age, with a mean body mass index of 22.6 kg/m(2). A standardized questionnaire was administered. The total amount of alcohol consumed per week was calculated, and categorized into four grades. Fatty liver was examined by ultrasound modified criteria of the revised National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and the new International Diabetes Federation.

Results: The prevalence of fatty liver decreased in men and women with light to moderate alcohol consumption, whereas the prevalence of MS was not so changed. The prevalence of fatty liver of any grade in men was lower than that in those with no or minimal alcohol consumption. In women with light to moderate alcohol consumption, prevalence of fatty liver was lower than that in women with no or minimal alcohol consumption. By logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for MS in women with light alcohol consumption was decreased to < 1.0, but this change was not clear in men. The OR for fatty liver was clearly < 1.0 in men with any level of alcohol consumption and in women with light to moderate consumption.

Conclusion: Light to moderate alcohol consumption has a favorable effect for fatty liver, but not for MS in Japanese men and women.

Keywords: Alcohol consumption; Alcoholic hepatitis; Epidemiology; Fatty liver; Metabolic syndrome.

Figure 1

Adjusted odds ratio of the level of alcohol consumption for metabolic syndrome and fatty liver in men (A) and women (B). We assessed the odds ratio (OR) of the level of alcohol consumption for metabolic syndrome (MS) and fatty liver using a multivariate logistic model while controlling for potential covariates. In a multivariate logistic model, we selected age, usage of drugs that potentially affected MS, and lifestyle factors such as wine consumption, regular exercise, and smoking status, as the potential covariates. Bars mean the adjusted OR and 95% CIs. HDL-c: High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; rATP III: Revised National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III; IDF: International Diabetes Federation; BMI: Body mass index.