Regular alcohol consumption shown to improve insulin resistance in healthy Japanese men

The relationship between alcohol consumption and insulin sensitivity is controversial, since ensuing obesity and other dietary/lifestyle factors may act as confounders in certain individuals. The goal of this study was to examine whether regular alcohol consumption improves insulin sensitivity in healthy Japanese men and to which extent obesity affects this relationship. A total of 1029 men having undergone medical checkups were divided into non-obese (BMI<25kg/m2) and obese (BMI≥25 kg/m2) subjects and further subdivided into non-regular drinkers, moderate drinkers (1-6 days/week) and daily drinkers (7 days/week). Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and other cardiac risk factors were compared between groups. Although HOMA-IR was about 2 times greater in obese compared to non-obese men in all categories (P<0.001), alcohol consumption decreased HOMA-IR in a dose-dependent manner in both non-obese and obese men. After adjusting for age, BMI, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and liver dysfunction, regular alcohol consumption was an independent negative factor for HOMA-IR (OR=0.576, P=0.003).

Abstract

Keywords:
Blood pressure – BMI – Cardiovascular risk – HDL-cholesterol – HOMA – Insulin resistance – LDL-cholesterol – Obesity - Smoking