Alcohol consumption and its relation to lipid-based cardiovascular risk factors among middle-aged women: The role of HDL3 cholesterol

To study the association of alcohol consumption and lipid-based cardiovascular risk factors among middle-age women, cross-sectional analysis among 274 middle-aged healthy women with different drinking habits and a follow-up analysis of alcoholic women during abstinence was performed. Serum total cholesterol, low and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL and HDL cholesterol), triglycerides (TG), apolipoproteins A1 (Apo A1) and B (Apo B), and HDL-cholesterol subfractions 2 (HDL2) and 3 (HDL3) were measured. All lipid values except LDL cholesterol positively correlated with self-reported alcohol consumption. When alcoholics were excluded the correlation was significant only for HDL cholesterol, HDL3, and Apo A1. The increasing trend of HDL cholesterol, HDL3 and Apo A1 were clearly seen first in women consuming >20-40 g/day of absolute alcohol. Alcohol consumption >40 g/day increased all lipid values except LDL cholesterol. Abstinence for 2 weeks caused a significant decrease in HDL3 cholesterol, and an increase in LDL cholesterol and Apo B. The results indicate that among middle-aged women the Apo A1 and HDL cholesterol via its HDL3 but not HDL2 subfraction might play a role in the beneficial coronary consequences associated with moderate alcohol consumption. However, the increasing beneficial trend first appears when daily drinking exceeds 20 g/day.