Healio
Healio

EASL Congress
April 10, 2014
1 min read
Save

Metabolic risk profile better in adults who consumed low amounts of alcohol

LONDON — Adults in the United States who consumed low amounts of alcohol had a better metabolic risk profile and were less likely to have hepatic steatosis than those who never drank, according to research presented at the International Liver Congress.

“In our study we found that those who consume moderate amounts of alcohol [do not have] a significantly higher prevalence of hepatic steatosis,” Mariana Lazo, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, told Healio.com. “In fact it is the opposite; those who never consume alcohol or those with very elevated alcohol consumption have increased risk of hepatic steatosis. It’s a U-shaped relationship.”

Lazo and colleagues examined ultrasound data on 12,058 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III from 1988-1994 to define the prevalence of hepatic steatosis. Participants reported alcohol consumption, and analyses were weighted to represent the US population.

In the US adult population, almost 50% were current nondrinkers (including 35.3% former drinkers), 10% reported consuming one drink per day, 21.3% between two and three drinks per day, and 16.8% consumed at least four drinks per day, Lazo reported.

Participants consuming one drink daily were more likely to be physically active, have lower BMI, less diabetes and hypertension compared with noncurrent drinkers. When drinking status and sex were compared, men were more likely to have an adjusted prevalence of hepatitis steatosis if they never drank or consumed four or more drinks daily, while women were more likely to have a prevalence of hepatic steatosis if they consumed at least four drinks per day.

Participants consuming one drink daily were significantly less likely to have hepatic steatosis compared with those who never drank after adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, age and BMI. The association was not significant after further adjustments were made for BMI.

“In the US population, adults consuming low amounts of alcohol have a better metabolic risk profile in general,” Lazo and colleagues concluded. “However, low alcohol consumption does not seem to be independently associated to lower prevalence of hepatic steatosis.” – Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: Lazo reported no relevant financial disclosures.

For more information:

Lazo M. #030: Alcohol Consumption and Hepatic Steatosis in the General US Population. Presented at: The International Liver Congress 2014; April 9-14, London.