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Changes in liver-derived enzymes and self-reported alcohol consumption. A 1-year follow-up study in Denmark
A M Thulstrup1, H T Sørensen, F H Steffensen
1Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Dept. of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, The Ebeltoft Health Promotion Study.
Background:
The association between alcohol intake and liver disease is well known, but little is known about alcohol consumption and changes in liver-derived enzymes within 1 year. In a 1-year follow-up study we examined changes in liver-derived enzymes and their association with self-reported alcohol consumption.
Methods:
We recorded liver-derived enzyme values, self-reported alcohol consumption, and potential confounder variables at base line and at a 1-year follow-up in a representative sample of 822 persons (aged 30-50 years) from the survey of The Ebeltoft Health Promotion Project in Denmark, by using questionnaires, health examinations, and blood samples.
Results:
The prevalence of increased liver-derived enzyme values was 11.1% at base line and 11.8% at the 1-year follow-up. The incidence rate of increased liver-derived enzyme values was 5.1 per 100 person-years, and 34% of the cases of increased liver-derived enzyme values returned to normal within I year. We found an odds ratio of 4.0 for men and 8.0 for women of developing increased liver-derived enzyme values if alcohol consumption was more than 21 units a week. The risk seemed to be dose-dependent.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of increased liver-derived enzyme values in the population was high and increased slightly during the study period. There was a strong association between the incidence rate of increased liver-derived enzyme values and self-reported alcohol consumption in a dose-dependent relationship, also when adjusted for confounding by smoking and obesity. The persons with persistently increased enzyme values had a higher weekly alcohol consumption than the rest of the study population.