Abstract
Background
Facial flushing response to drinking is observed in East Asians with deficient activity of the variant aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 genotype. This study examined the role of flushing response in the relationship between alcohol consumption and dyslipidemia.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 1,443 Korean men, including 261 non-drinkers, 470 flushers and 712 non-flushers. Based on a questionnaire, weekly alcohol consumption was assessed and categorized into 4 groups. Dyslipidemia was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. After adjusting for confounding factors, we evaluated the relationship between weekly alcoholic drinks and dyslipidemia in flushers and non-flushers by comparing with non-drinkers, using a multi-variable logistic regression analysis.
Results
Non-flushers had a significant relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and alcohol consumption in two groups (4–8 drinks: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.937, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.029–3.644; ≥16 drinks: aOR 2.118, 95% CI 1.272–3.527) in contrast to flushers, who showed no significant relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and alcohol consumption. Non-flushers had a significant relationship to low serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in four groups (<4 drinks: aOR 0.428, 95% CI 0.277–0.662; 4–8 drinks: aOR 0.409, 95% CI 0.216–0.774; 8–16 drinks: aOR 0.285, 95% CI 0.152–0.536; ≥16 drinks: aOR 0.343, 95% CI 0.207–0.568), and flushers had a significant relationship in two groups (8–16 drinks: aOR 0.234, 95% CI 0.102–0.536; ≥16 drinks: aOR 0.342, 95% CI 0.166–0.705).
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Table 1.
Variables | Non-drinkers | Drinkers | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(n=261) | Flushers (n=470) | Pa | Non-flushers (n=712) | Pa | |
Age, y | 49.91±11.77 | 48.20±11.31 | 0.054 | 46.89±10.66 | <0.001 |
BMI, kg/m2 | 24.47±3.20 | 25.25±2.92 | 0.001 | 24.79±2.96 | 0.161 |
WC, cm | 85.01±9.33 | 87.49±8.12 | <0.001 | 85.78±8.07 | 0.243 |
LDL-C, mg/dL | 111.42±30.83 | 110.14±30.30 | 0.586 | 106.56±30.42 | 0.028 |
TC, mg/dL | 187.72±35.69 | 190.63±34.90 | 0.284 | 190.72±35.03 | 0.240 |
TG, mg/dL | 129.15±81.75 | 137.61±97.73 | 0.235 | 153.73±101.21 | <0.001 |
HDL-C, mg/dL | 44.26±7.89 | 46.17±8.00 | 0.002 | 47.54±7.93 | <0.001 |
FBS, mg/dL | 94.70±29.18 | 94.01±22.83 | 0.724 | 99.91±24.74 | 0.006 |
Smokingb | <0.001 | <0.001 | |||
Non-smoker | 124 (47.5) | 140 (29.8) | 243 (34.1) | ||
Ex-smoker | 89 (34.1) | 159 (33.8) | 206 (28.9) | ||
Smoker | 48 (18.4) | 171 (36.4) | 263 (36.9) | ||
Exerciseb | 0.798 | 0.009 | |||
None | 91 (34.9) | 169 (36.0) | 214 (30.1) | ||
Irregular | 117 (44.8) | 199 (42.3) | 283 (39.7) | ||
Regular | 53 (20.3) | 102 (21.7) | 215 (30.2) | ||
Hypertensionb | 88 (16.6) | 193 (36.5) | 0.050 | 248 (46.9) | 0.746 |
Type 2 diabetes mellitusb | 19 (15.1) | 37 (29.4) | 0.773 | 70 (55.6) | 0.221 |
Drinks/weekc | NA | 7.59±11.12 | 11.81±13.09 | <0.001 | |
<4 | NA | 1.38±1.15 | 2.00±1.20 | <0.001 | |
4–8 | NA | 5.63±1.44 | 6.24±1.14 | 0.006 | |
8–16 | NA | 11.80±2.14 | 11.94±1.68 | 0.662 | |
≥16 | NA | 27.56±14.84 | 27.68±13.61 | 0.950 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; WC, waist circumference; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; FBS, fasting blood sugar; NA, not availabe. Values are presented as N (%) or mean±SD unless otherwise indicated.
Table 2.
Drinks/wka | Flushers (n=470) | Non-flushers (n=712) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Odds ratio | 95% confidence interval | Pb | Odds ratio | 95% confidence interval | Pb | |
LDL-C≥160 mg/dL | ||||||
Non-drinkers | 1.000 | 1.000 | ||||
<4 | 1.062 | 0.525–2.149 | 0.867 | 0.600 | 0.266–1.352 | 0.218 |
4–8 | 0.927 | 0.304–2.823 | 0.893 | 0.732 | 0.253–2.117 | 0.565 |
8–16 | 0.423 | 0.113–1.583 | 0.201 | 0.941 | 0.382–2.318 | 0.895 |
≥16 | 0.370 | 0.099–1.839 | 0.141 | 0.551 | 0.229–1.322 | 0.182 |
TC≥240 mg/dL | ||||||
Non-drinkers | 1.000 | 1.000 | ||||
<4 | 0.967 | 0.491–1.905 | 0.922 | 0.966 | 0.485–1.922 | 0.921 |
4–8 | 1.014 | 0.361–2.847 | 0.979 | 1.124 | 0.462–2.735 | 0.796 |
8–16 | 0.679 | 0.229–2.016 | 0.486 | 1.229 | 0.556–2.718 | 0.610 |
≥16 | 0.485 | 0.150–1.566 | 0.226 | 0.805 | 0.380–1.707 | 0.572 |
TG≥200 mg/dL | ||||||
Non-drinkers | 1.000 | 1.000 | ||||
<4 | 1.247 | 0.744–2.091 | 0.403 | 1.118 | 0.710–1.987 | 0.512 |
4–8 | 1.703 | 0.788–3.679 | 0.175 | 1.937 | 1.029–3.644 | 0.040 |
8–16 | 0.539 | 0.213–1.361 | 0.191 | 1.438 | 0.789–2.623 | 0.236 |
≥16 | 0.970 | 0.428–2.198 | 0.941 | 2.118 | 1.272–3.527 | 0.004 |
HDL-C<40 mg/dL | ||||||
Non-drinkers | 1.000 | 1.000 | ||||
<4 | 0.770 | 0.514–1.153 | 0.204 | 0.428 | 0.277–0.662 | <0.001 |
4–8 | 0.508 | 0.248–1.040 | 0.064 | 0.409 | 0.216–0.774 | 0.006 |
8–16 | 0.234 | 0.102–0.536 | 0.001 | 0.285 | 0.152–0.536 | <0.001 |
≥16 | 0.342 | 0.166–0.705 | 0.004 | 0.343 | 0.207–0.568 | <0.001 |
Table 3.
Drinks/wkb | Pa | Odds | 95% confidence |
---|---|---|---|
ratio | interval | ||
Non-flushers | 1.000 | ||
LDL-C≥160 mg/dL | |||
<4 | 0.162 | 1.757 | 0.798–3.866 |
4–8 | 0.587 | 1.492 | 0.351–6.388 |
8–16 | 0.163 | 0.322 | 0.065–1.582 |
≥16 | 0.422 | 0.551 | 0.129–2.358 |
TC≥240 mg/dL | |||
<4 | 0.799 | 0.915 | 0.463–1.809 |
4–8 | 0.907 | 0.931 | 0.283–3.067 |
8–16 | 0.459 | 0.643 | 0.200–2.070 |
≥16 | 0.560 | 0.697 | 0.206–2.351 |
TG≥200 mg/dL | |||
<4 | 0.876 | 0.961 | 0.585–1.579 |
4–8 | 0.770 | 0.877 | 0.365–2.110 |
8–16 | 0.040 | 0.360 | 0.135–0.955 |
≥16 | 0.002 | 0.285 | 0.128–0.638 |
HDL-C<40 mg/dL | |||
<4 | 0.010 | 1.819 | 1.157–2.860 |
4–8 | 0.565 | 1.319 | 0.514–3.386 |
8–16 | 0.763 | 0.857 | 0.315–2.331 |
≥16 | 0.915 | 1.044 | 0.474–2.297 |
Abbreviations: LDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein cholesterol.