Alcohol Consumption Is Associated with Decreased Insulin Resistance Independent of Body Mass Index in Japanese Community-Dwelling Men

Alcohol Consumption Is Associated with Decreased Insulin Resistance Independent of Body Mass Index in Japanese Community-Dwelling Men

RYUICHI KAWAMOTO,^1,3 KATSUHIKO KOHARA,² YASUHARU TABARA,² TETSURO MIKI,² NOBUYUKI OHTSUKA,³ TOMO KUSUNOKI^1,3 and MASANORI ABE¹

¹Department of Community Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
²Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
³Department of Internal Medicine, Seiyo Municipal Nomura Hospital, Ehime, Japan

Alcohol consumption is associated with a decreased risk of type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, there is a great deal of controversy concerning the relationship between alcohol consumption and insulin resistance. This association may be further confounded by an increase in body weight levels. The aim of this study was to determine whether alcohol consumption promotes insulin resistance according to body weight levels in community-dwelling men. Study participants without a clinical history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, angina or diabetes were randomly recruited from a single community at the time of their annual health examination (678 men aged 59 ± 14 years). They were classified into never drinkers, light drinkers [< 1 unit (22.9 g ethanol)/day], moderate drinkers (1-1.9 unit/day), and heavy drinkers (≥ 2 unit/day), and further divided into underweight [body mass index (BMI) < 23 kg/m²] or overweight (BMI ≥ 23.0 kg/m²). Insulin resistance was estimated on the basis of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and HOMA-IR and potential confounders were compared between the groups. The confounders included age, BMI, smoking status, serum gamma glutamyltransferase, and high molecular-weight adiponectin. In the overall, HOMA-IR is significantly correlated with age, BMI, serum gamma glutamyltransferase, and high molecular-weight adiponectin. After adjustment for potential confounders, mean log HOMA-IR is significantly lower in the heavy drinkers irrespective of BMI categories. In conclusion, alcohol consumption is associated with decreased insulin resistance independent of BMI in Japanese community-dwelling men.

Keywords —— insulin resistance; body mass index; alcohol consumption; risk factor; men.

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2009, 218, 331-337

Correspondence: Ryuichi Kawamoto, M.D., Department of Community Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 9-53 Nomura, Nomura-cho, Seiyo-city, Ehime 797-1212, Japan.

e-mail: rykawamo@yahoo.co.jp