Association of high density lipoprotein with whole blood-associated acetaldehyde levels

We hypothesized that while moderate drinking is associated with increasing levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, excessive drinking of ethanol might, in fact, be associated with lower HDL levels and by implication increased cardiovascular risk. We therefore performed analyses of whole blood-associated acetaldehyde (WBAA) as a measure of drinking behavior and HDL on blood samples from 2780 individuals applying for life insurance. Whole blood-associated acetaldehyde correlated positively with HDL in the entire sample set throughout the range of values (R = 0.101, p = 0.0001). The relationship held for females (N = 477, p = 0.036) but was stronger for males (N = 2277, p = 0.0001). We conclude that ethanol consumption correlates positively with HDL for both males and females and that the relationship persists through higher ranges of ethanol consumption.