The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, Vol 15, Issue 6 437-442, Copyright © 2002 by American Board of Family Practice

ARTICLES

Relation between alcohol consumption and C-reactive protein levels in the adult US population

S. H. Stewart, A. G. Mainous 3rd and G. Gilbert
Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.

BACKGROUND: Moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular death. Systemic inflammation as indicated by elevated levels of C-reactive protein might play a role in this relation. METHODS: To evaluate the association of alcohol consumption with C-reactive protein, we analyzed the findings of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination, a population-based survey representing the noninstitutionalized US population. Participants were aged 17 and older (n = 11,572). The main outcome measures studied were probability of C-reactive protein measurements being greater than 0.30 mg/dL (corresponding to the 75th percentile for the population) stratified by categories of alcohol consumption. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS: Among nondrinkers 31% had elevated C-reactive protein levels, compared with 21% of low-to-moderate-frequency drinkers and 18% of high-frequency drinkers. In a model adjusted for confounding variables, those who drank 1 to 10 times per month (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95), 11 to 30 times (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.62-0.88), and more than 60 times per month (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.93) were less likely than nondrinkers to have elevated C-reactive protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption is associated with a decreased probability of elevated C-reactive protein levels. This association supports an anti-inflammatory mechanism by which moderate alcohol use might protect against cardiovascular death.

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