Light-to-moderate alcohol intake reduces lipid accumulation product and attenuates its relation to hypertension

Lipid accumulation product (LAP), an index calculated by using triglyceride level and waist circumference, has been shown to predict hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Alcohol is known to influence blood pressure and blood lipids. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships among alcohol intake, LAP and hypertension. The subjects, middle-aged Japanese men (n=21,572), were divided into non-, light (<22 g ethanol per day), moderate (⩾ 22 and<44 g ethanol per day) and heavy (⩾ 44 g ethanol per day) drinkers. The relationships between alcohol intake and LAP and between LAP and hypertension were investigated. There were U- and J-shaped relationships between alcohol intake and LAP in subjects with and without hypertension, respectively. The adjusted odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals for hypertension in subjects with vs subjects without high LAP were 3.04 (2.69-3.43, P<0.01), 2.32 (1.92-2.81, P<0.01), 2.10 (1.89-2.33, P<0.01) and 2.11 (1.87-2.38, P<0.01) in non-, light, moderate and heavy drinkers, respectively. Thus, the positive association between LAP and hypertension is weaker in drinkers than in nondrinkers. The results suggest that light-to-moderate alcohol drinking reduces LAP level in patients with hypertension and attenuates the relation of LAP to hypertension.