Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis of prospective observational studies
article
OBJECTIVE - This meta-analysis was undertaken to obtain insight regarding the shape and strength of the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes, the effects of adjustment for confounders, and the effect of modification by type 2 diabetes definition, sex, and BMI. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - The 15 original prospective cohort studies that were included comprise 11,959 incident cases of type 2 diabetes in 369,862 individuals who, on average, were followed for 12 years. RESULTS - After pooling the data, a U-shaped relationship was found. Compared with nonconsumers, the relative risk (RR) for type 2 diabetes in those who consumed ≤6 g/day alcohol was 0.87 (95% CI 0.79-0.95). For the moderate consumption ranges of 6-12, 12-24, and 24-48 g/day, RRs of 0.70 (0.61-0.79), 0.69 (0.58-0.81), and 0.72 (0.62-0.84) were found, respectively. The risk of type 2 diabetes in heavy drinkers (≥48 g/day) was equal to that in nonconsumers (1.04 [0.84-1.29]). In general, nonsignificant trends for larger RR reduction associated with moderate alcohol consumption were observed for women compared with men, for crude compared with multivariate-adjusted analyses, and for studies that used self-reports instead of testing for type 2 diabetes definition. No differences in RR reductions were found between individuals with low or high BMI. CONCLUSIONS - The present evidence from observational studies suggests an ∼30% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in moderate alcohol consumers, whereas no risk reduction is observed in consumers of ≥48 g/day. © 2005 by the American Diabetes Association.
Topics
Physiological SciencesAlcohol consumptionBody massCohort analysisHumanMeta analysisNon insulin dependent diabetes mellitusObservationProspective studyReviewRisk assessmentRisk reductionSelf reportSex differenceSystematic reviewAlcohol DrinkingCohort StudiesDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2HumansPrevalenceRisk Factors
TNO Identifier
238367
ISSN
01495992
Source
Diabetes Care, 28(3), pp. 719-725.
Pages
719-725
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