Could Alcohol Consumption Increase Glucose Levels?

High alcohol consumption and binge drinking between 16 and 43 years of age was associated with high plasma glucose levels in middle-aged women, according to the findings of a recent study.

The researchers used data from the Northern Swedish Cohort (NSH), a prospective study that enrolled participants at 16 years of age and followed them for 27 years. A total of 897 participants who had fasting plasma glucose measurements at 43 years of age were included in the analysis. Participants’ total alcohol consumption and binge drinking behavior were assessed using questionnaires.

In descriptive analyses, men were found to have higher levels of fasting plasma glucose compared with women, and reported higher levels of alcohol consumption and binge drinking behaviors.

Total alcohol consumption combined with binge drinking between 16 and 43 years of age was associated with elevated fasting plasma glucose at 43 years of age for women, but not men, after researchers adjusted for body mass index, hypertension, and smoking.

“A raised blood glucose concentration is the significantly most important risk factor for future development of type 2 diabetes,” the researchers concluded. “Thus, our findings indicate that reducing binge drinking and alcohol consumption among young and middle-aged women with the highest consumption might be of benefit for reducing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes with its long term complications.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Nygren K, Hammarström A, and Rolandsson O. Binge drinking and total alcohol consumption from 16 to 43 years of age are associated with elevated fasting plasma glucose in women: results from the northern Swedish cohort study [published online June 8, 2017]. BMC Public Health. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4437-y.