Alcohol Consumption Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Middle-Aged Adults: Study Findings
Excessive alcohol use may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in middle-aged adults, according to new research presented at the American Physiology Summit in Long Beach, California, in early April.
The presented research was led by Dr. Chueh-Lung Hwang of the University of Texas at Arlington’s Cardiovascular Laboratory of Health studied two groups of middle-aged adults between the ages of 50 and 64.
Individuals who engaged in heavy drinking were found to have a significantly higher risk of developing an alcohol use disorder as defined by the US Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.
Study participants underwent a test that included answering a questionnaire assessing their drinking frequency and volume, as well as administering a phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth) test from dried blood spots.
PEth Test Results: Implications for Alcohol Consumption and Glucose Management in Older Adults
The PEth test is used to measure levels of a biomarker that forms in the blood after drinking alcohol and can be detected in the blood for up to four weeks after drinking alcohol.
Heavy drinkers were defined as participants with a PEth score of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml) or higher, while “light drinkers” were defined as participants with a PEth score below 20 ng/ml.
In addition, the research team analyzed additional blood samples from both groups of volunteers. The researchers concluded that heavy alcohol intake may have a detrimental impact on glucose management in the older population, as indicated by increased fasting glucose levels observed in heavy drinkers.
Since excessive alcohol consumption can negatively affect the function of the liver and pancreas, reduced function of these organs can affect blood glucose levels. Currently, the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines heavy drinking as five or more drinks per day or 15 or more drinks per week for men and more than four drinks per day or eight or more drinks per week for women.
Per week. Additionally, according to the current Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) definition, heavy drinking is defined as men who reported having 5 or more drinks or women who reported having 4 or more drinks on one occasion at least once per month. Last year.
Health Risks of Excessive Alcohol Consumption: Insights
“Drinking alcohol that exceeds the recommended limits causes damage to organs throughout the body and increases not only the risk of potentially developing type 2 diabetes, but also other diseases,” said Dr Hwang in a released statement.
“Our team recommends not drinking every day. If [people] drink alcohol, make sure that for men [it’s] no more than four drinks in one day… and for women no more than three drinks in one day.”
