Alcohol consumption and its relation to cardiovascular risk factors in British women

To examine the relation between alcohol consumption and risk factors for coronary heart disease in women.

Cross sectional study of a stratified random sample of the population grouped into five categories of habitual alcohol consumption.

People registered with general practitioners at two large health centres in east Bristol, England.

1048 women aged 25-69 years.

Fasting plasma concentrations of insulin, total cholesterol, total triglycerides, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, including its subfractions HDL2 and HDL3, and body mass index.

Compared with non-drinkers women consuming a moderate amount of alcohol (1-20 g/day) had lower plasma concentrations of triglycerides, by 0.19 mmol/l (95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.35); cholesterol, by 0.4 mmol/l (0.19 to 0.61); and insulin, by 1.4 mU/l (0.43 to 1.97) and a lower body mass index, by 1.2 kg/m2 (0.43 to 1.97). They also had higher concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, by 0.09 mmol/l (0.03 to 0.15); HDL2 cholesterol by 0.05 mmol/l (-0.02 to 0.10) and HDL3 cholesterol, by 0.06 mmol/l (0.06 to 0.11). All these were independent of body mass index, smoking habits, and taking oral contraceptives.

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors in women. Insulin may have a central role.