Moderate Alcohol Consumption, Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes: Influence of Alcohol Oxidation

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The association of alcohol consumption with cardiovascular disease is mediated by a functional polymorphism of alcohol dehydrogenase 1c, but the effect of this polymorphism on alcohol metabolism is only investigated in vitro. The risk reduction of moderate alcohol consumption for cardiovascular disease is explained largely by an increase of HDL cholesterol, but an increase of adiponectin concentrations after moderate alcohol consumption may also be involved. It seems likely that adiponectin is a mediator for the association of moderate alcohol consumption with type 2 diabetes. The mechanism by which moderate alcohol consumption increases adiponectin concentrations is unknown, but ppar-gamma activation may be involved. effects of this polymorphism on mediators of this relation are not known. This study therefore investigates the effect of moderate alcohol consumption and the influence of alcohol dehydrogenase 1c polymorphism on ppar-gamma activated gene expression and risk factors of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.