Relationships among alcohol drinking, blood pressure and serum cholesterol in healthy young women

Background: Habitual alcohol drinking affects both blood pressure and serum lipids. I investigated the relationships among alcohol drinking, blood pressure and atherogenic index defined by serum total and HDL cholesterol levels in young women. Methods: The subjects were young (20-39 y) healthy female workers (n = 7887) receiving annual health checkups. Blood pressure was compared in subjects divided into groups according to average daily alcohol consumption (non-drinkers; light drinkers, < 15 g/day ethanol; moderate-to-heavy drinkers, ≥ 15 g/day ethanol) and in subjects divided into tertile groups of atherogenic index calculated as (total cholesterol - HDL cholesterol)/HDL cholesterol. Results: When overall subjects were analyzed, systolic and diastolic blood pressure in light and moderate-to-heavy drinkers was not significantly different from that in non-drinkers. Total cholesterol levels and atherogenic index were significantly lower and HDL cholesterol was significantly higher in the light and moderate-to-heavy drinker groups than in the non-drinker group. Atherogenic index and HDL cholesterol were also significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the moderate-to-heavy drinker group than in the light drinker group. In the lowest tertile group of atherogenic index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure after adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking history and atherogenic index was significantly higher in the moderate-to-heavy drinker groups than in the non-drinker group, while systolic and diastolic blood pressure was not different among the 3 alcohol consumption groups in the highest tertile group of atherogenic index. In non-, light and moderate-to-heavy drinker groups, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher in the highest tertile group of atherogenic index than in the lowest and middle tertile groups. Conclusion: Habitual alcohol drinking is related to blood pressure in young women with low atherogenic index but not in those with high atherogenic index, while blood pressure is associated with atherogenic index independently of alcohol drinking.