Association between alcohol dietary pattern and prevalence of dyslipidaemia: WASEDA’S Health Study
Many studies have demonstrated the association of high alcohol intake with an increased risk of mortality, various types of cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between a dietary pattern characterized by high alcohol intake and dyslipidemia has not yet been clarified. Kumpei Tanisawa and colleagues conducted a study under the title “Association between alcohol dietary pattern and prevalence of dyslipidemia: WASEDA’S Health Study” published in the British Journal of Nutrition. The summary of this study is given below:
Objective:
To investigate the association between high alcohol intake in dietary patterns and the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its components.
Method:
2,171 participants from both genders aged ≥40 years were enrolled in the study. They were alumni of a Japanese university. To evaluate dietary patterns, a principal component analysis was conducted as per the energy-adjusted food intake investigation by a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire.
Findings:
The study reports that dietary pattern with high intake of alcoholic beverages, liver, chicken, and fish is associated with dyslipidemia and its component. Subgroup analysis revealed that, in women, the prevalence of high TG and low HDL-C was less, and major cases of dyslipidemia had increased LDL-C levels. On the other hand, the prevalence of high TG was higher in men. Additionally, individuals with higher alcohol dietary pattern scores revealed a higher intake of micronutrients namely Na, Fe, Mg, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin D, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Hence, it is hypothesized that these micronutrients synergistically reflect LDL-C levels. There is no evidence to support this hypothesis.
After adjusting alcohol intake, LDL-C levels were found to be reduced in women but not in men. A healthy dietary pattern was found to be inversely associated with the prevalence of dyslipidemia, as expected.
Limitation:
The author acknowledges that the study design doesn’t allow for inference of causal relationship between alcohol intake and occurrence of dislipidemia. Secondly, the participants were alumni of the same university. Hence, the results may have been affected by selection bias. The authors suggest that findings should be generalized with caution as the study was conducted on the Japanese population. Lastly, the study didn’t consider menopausal status in women.
Image Credit : People photo created by prostooleh – www.freepik.com