Search resultsRelationship between serum leptin levels and alcohol consumption in a controlled feeding and alcohol ingestion study
Title
Relationship between serum leptin levels and alcohol consumption in a controlled feeding and alcohol ingestion study
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2003
Authors
Journal
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Volume
95
Issue
22
Pagination
1722 - 1725
Date published
2003
ISBN
00278874 (ISSN)
Keywords
Adult, age distribution, Age Factors, Aged, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, article, Autoimmune Diseases, body mass, cancer, cancer susceptibility, confidence interval, controlled study, Cross-Over Studies, crossover procedure, feeding, Female, health hazard, hormone blood level, human, human experiment, Humans, immune system, insulin, leptin, Middle Aged, morbidity, Neoplasms, normal human, postmenopause, priority journal, randomization, Risk Factors, statistical analysis
Abstract
We examined serum leptin levels in a controlled feeding and alcohol ingestion study to elucidate potential mechanisms by which alcohol may affect cancer and immunologically related health risks. A total of 53 healthy, nonsmoking postmenopausal women completed a random-order, three-period crossover design study in which each woman received zero (0 g of alcohol), one (15 g of alcohol), or two (30 g alcohol) drinks per day. After accounting for differences in body mass index, women who consumed 15 or 30 g of alcohol per day had 7.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0% to 15.1%) and 8.9% (95% CI = 1.6% to 16.7%) higher serum leptin levels, respectively (Ptrend = .018), than women who consumed 0 g of alcohol per day. Younger women (i.e., 49-54 years) demonstrated a statistically significantly larger association of alcohol consumption level with the increase in serum leptin levels than older women (i.e., 55-79 years) (24.4%, 95% CI = 9.3% to 42.0% versus 3.7%, 95 % CI = -4.1 % to 12.1 % increase in serum leptin levels for 30 g of alcohol per day relative to 0 g of alcohol per day for the lowest age quartile compared with the three highest age quartiles combined; P =.022). These results indicate that moderate alcohol consumption (15-30 g of alcohol per day) increases serum leptin levels in postmenopausal women and may predispose moderate drinkers to the morbidities associated with chronic elevations of this hormone including cancer.