Alcohol consumption and insulin concentrations role of insulin in associations of alcohol intake with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides

Abstract

Background. The relation between alcohol intake and insulin levels may explain, in part, the reported associations of alcohol with cardiovascular disease risk factors, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and glucose levels, each of which has been recognized as a component of the insulin resistance syndrome. Methods and Results. Subjects included nondiabetic participants of the Kaiser Permanente Women Twins Study (1989 through 1990). Usual alcohol intake was assessed as part of a food frequency questionnaire. For women from twin pairs in which both twins drank (n=338), an increment of 12 g of alcohol per day (about one drink) was associated with an 8% lower 2-hour post-glucose-load insulin (P