Influence of hiatal hernia and male sex on the relationship between alcohol intake and occurrence of Barrett’s esophagus

Background The association of alcohol intake with the incidence of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) has been inconsistent. Although hiatal hernia and male sex are well-known risk factors of BE, its effect on the association of alcohol intake with the incidence of BE remains unknown. Aim To investigate whether the influence of alcohol intake on the occurrence of BE might differ depending on male sex and presence of hiatal hernia. Methods We utilized a database of 8031 patients that underwent upper endoscopy for health screening in a prospective, multicenter, cohort study (the Upper Gastro Intestinal Disease study). The incidence of endoscopic columnar-lined esophagus (eCLE; endoscopically diagnosed BE) was the outcome variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between alcohol intake and eCLE stratified by male sex and hiatal hernia, adjusting for clinical features and other potential confounders. Results Alcohol intake (20 g/day) showed a marginally significant association with the incidence of eCLE in participants without hiatal hernia (0 vs. 20 g/day; odds ratio [OR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92–2.85, P = 0.09) but not in participants with hiatal hernia (0 vs. 20/ day; OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.59–1.65; P = 0.95). Furthermore, alcohol intake (20 g/day) was significantly associated with the incidence of eCLE in male participants without hiatal hernia (0 vs. 20 g/day; OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.04–4.03; P = 0.04) but not in female participants without hiatal hernia (0 vs. 20 g/day; OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.03–2.37; P = 0.42). Conclusions The effect of alcohol intake on the incidence of eCLE might be associated with hiatal hernia status and male sex.