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Light consumption of alcohol may reduce MDS risk
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Light consumption of alcohol among nonsmokers may decrease the risk for myelodysplastic syndrome compared with abstaining from alcohol, according to results of a case–control study.
Outside of genetic factors, the variation of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) incidence rates among populations can be associated with dietary and lifestyle factors. In particular, the role of alcohol consumption in the risk for MDS has been observed, but not well understood.
Min Zhang, MD, adjunct associate professor and director of Lu Cha Sino-Australian Research Collaboration at the school of population health of The University of Western Australia, and colleagues evaluated the association between alcohol consumption and MDS risk in a Chinese population using the 107-item food frequency questionnaire.
The analysis included data from 208 case–control pairs matched by sex, birth quinquennium and residential locality (mean age at interview: cases, 54.8 ± 1.4 years; controls, 54.5 ± 15.3 years; both cohorts, 52.9% men).
Researchers defined light alcohol consumption as one or fewer drinks a day (< 12.5 g/day of ethanol), moderate consumption as two to three drinks a day (12.6-49.9 g/day of ethanol) and heavy consumption as four or more.
Overall, 36.5% of the patients with MDS were classified as alcohol drinkers compared with 48.6% of the controls.
Alcohol consumption vs. abstaining from alcohol appeared associated with a decreased risk for MDS (OR = 0.41, 95% CI, 0.21-0.8).
In particular, researchers observed a significantly reduced risk among light consumers of alcohol (OR = 0.27, 95% CI, 0.12-0.61) and those who drank wine only (OR = 0.12, 95% CI, 0.02-0.79).
“On the one hand, light alcohol consumption may have a favorable role in MDS by exerting some benefits to the immune system,” Zhang and colleagues wrote. “On the other hand, heavy ethanol use may predispose to the development of MDS by ethanol-derived reactive aldehydes, which suppress normal hematopoiesis and promote hematopoietic stem cell damage.”
Compared with individuals who consumed neither alcohol nor cigarettes, the reduced risk for MDS associated with light alcohol consumption only appeared statistically significant among nonsmokers (OR = 0.19, 95% CI, 0.06-0.6).
The potential beneficial role of light alcohol consumption might be offset by the effect of cigarette smoking.
“Since smoking has been ascertained as an important risk factor for MDS, the joint association of alcohol consumption and smoking is warranted to further study,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers acknowledge their study may be limited by underreporting of alcohol by questionnaire participants.
“Further well-designed, large studies are warranted to fully characterize the risks of MDS in relation to quantity, types and duration of alcohol consumption,” they added. “Potential biological mechanisms of action of alcohol on MDS, including active components from wine, need exploration.” – by Kristie L. Kahl
Reference:
Liu P, et al. Cancer Causes Control. 2016;doi:10.1007/s10552-015-0698-x.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.