Cardiovascular risk factors and alcohol consumption in France and Northern Ireland Original Research Article

The levels of different lipid, lipoprotein and haemostatic variables were assessed in 615 control subjects of the ECTIM Study, defined by five groups of alcohol consumption: non-drinkers, 0 < 15 g/day, 15 < · ≤ 36 g/day, 36 < · ≤ 66 g/day and > 66 g/day. After adjustment for age, body mass index, cigarette consumption and country, alcohol consumption was associated with an increase in HDL-cholesterol (0.47 ± 0.02 to 0.59 ± 0.01 g/l in nondrinkers and > 66 g/day consumers, mean ± S.E.M., P < 0.0001), apolipoproteins A-I and A-II (1.37 ± 0.03 to 1.60 ± 0.03 g/l and 0.32 ± 0.01 to 0.41 ± 0.01 g/l, respectively, P < 0.0001), LpA-I, LpA-I:A-II (0.46 ± 0.01 to 0.50 ± 0.01 g/l and 0.75 ± 0.02 to 0.91 ± 0.02 g/l, respectively, P < 0.001) and PAi-1 activity (134 ± 11 to 177 ± 11 U/ml, P < 0.001). Conversely, no increases were found for total and LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoproteins B and C-III, LpE:B, LpC-III:B, fibrinogen and factor VII. Hence, among the lipid and haemostatic variables studied, only HDL parameters and PAi-1 activity were increased by alcohol consumption.