Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome among African-Americans:Jackson Heart Study

Epidemiological studies have well documented that light to moderate alcohol consumption reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Alcohol intake has been found to have differing impact on individual components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Persons with MetS have been shown to have a higher risk for CVD and diabetes. Given that alcohol might serve as a mediator between MetS and CVD it is important to investigate the alcohol- MetS relationship, especially among African-Americans. Among the cohort of 5,302 African-Americans in the Jackson Heart Study, more men consumed alcohol (men:59%, women:39%) but had less MetS (men:32%, women:43%) than women. Using logistic regression with a reference group of non-drinkers after controlling for age, education, smoking, and physical activity, a lower prevalence for MetS was found in light drinking (=<12g/d) for women (OR=0.77,p<0.01) and heavy drinking (>24g/d) for men (OR=0.45,p<0.01). In beverage-specific analysis, the prevalence of MetS was lower in male heavy drinkers (OR=0.35,p<0.01) among beer consumers and female light drinkers (OR=0.63,p<0.001) among wine consumers. Drinking levels were not associated with MetS among liquor drinkers for both genders. Alcohol consumption was negatively associated with hypertension in female light drinkers (OR=0.8,p<0.05), low HDL-cholesterol among heavy drinkers in both genders (women:OR=0.41,p<0.05, men:OR=0.29,p<0.001) and hyperglycemia among light drinkers in both genders (women:OR=0.69,p<0.001, men:OR=0.7,p<0.05), and positively with triglycerides in male moderate (OR=1.68,p<0.05) and heavy drinkers (OR=1.78,p<0.05). Preliminary results suggest that there are differences in the level of alcohol consumption and in preferred beverage types, and their relationships with MetS for African-American men and women.