Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes
Published on: May 10, 2022
Alcohol Consumption and Plasma Iron-Related Biomarkers, Including the Iron-Regulatory Hormone Hepcidin: A
Yoko Shimizu1, Taiki Yamaji1, Yoshihisa Miyamoto2
1Division of Epidemiology, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control, Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
Although individuals who consume alcohol tend to exhibit increased iron stores, the potential suppression of plasma hepcidin by habitual alcohol consumption in the general population has not been epidemiologically investigated.
Objectives:
We aimed to investigate the cross-sectional association between alcohol consumption and the plasma iron-related biomarkers iron, ferritin, and hepcidin in a Japanese population-based cohort.
Methods:
A total of 1396 men, 538 premenopausal women, and 1753 postmenopausal women aged 40-69 y in 1990-1994 were examined for plasma biomarker measurement and alcohol consumption through a self-administered questionnaire. Alcohol consumption was categorized as nondrinking (<1 d/mo), occasional drinking (1-3 d/mo), and regular drinking (men: <150, 150-300, ≥300 g ethanol/wk; women: <150, ≥150). A generalized linear model was applied to estimate geometric mean values [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] of each biomarker according to alcohol consumption group and ratio of geometric values (95% CIs) relative to the nondrinking group with adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and blood sampling time.
Results:
Both men and postmenopausal women showed significant increases in plasma iron and ferritin levels with higher alcohol consumption (P for trend < 0.01). The hepcidin-to-ferritin ratio, used as a marker of hepcidin levels relative to iron stores, was significantly decreased with increasing alcohol intake (P < 0.001), at 25% (95% CIs: 14%, 34%) lower than the fully adjusted geometric mean for regular drinking of 150-300 g ethanol/wk, and 36% (27%-44%) lower for ≥300 g in men and 43% (22%-58%) lower for ≥150 g in postmenopausal women. No significant association was observed among premenopausal women.
Conclusions:
While body iron stores increased with greater alcohol consumption, the plasma hepcidin-to-ferritin ratio significantly decreased in men and postmenopausal women. This finding may provide epidemiological support for the mechanism whereby habitual alcohol consumption suppresses hepcidin expression, leading to elevated iron stores.
Related Concept Videos
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Hepatic Drug Excretion: Influencing Factors
Hepatic Drug Clearance: Effect of Protein Binding
For low-extraction-ratio drugs that are less than 80% protein-bound, minor changes in protein binding...
Jaundice

